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Function documentationCharacter Sizing

 

You adjust the font size within a text field on the report template using character sizing. This means that the text makes best use of the space available. You can specify the font size range (8 to 32 point, for example).

Integration

Windows Word Integration (WWI) provides the following options for character sizing (dynamic text) when report templates are created:

  • Graphical determination of character sizing

    • Takes place via the macro function in Microsoft Word.

    • Advantage: All text settings (such as particular fonts, texts, and tables) are taken into account during character sizing.

    • Disadvantage: Character sizing takes a relatively long time.

  • Calculation of character sizing

    • Takes place via settings in the WWI.INI file.

    • The graphical function to determine character sizing using Microsoft Word is deactivated.

    • Advantage: Character sizing takes a relatively short time.

    • Disadvantage: Not all text settings (such as particular fonts and texts in tables) are taken into account during character sizing.

Prerequisites

See Prerequisites under Document Template Layout Editing.

Activities

Graphical determination of character sizing

  1. Use the Microsoft Word functions to insert a text box in the document template.

    Note Note

    Change the frames into text boxes, since only limited support is provided for frames due to compatibility reasons.

    End of the note.

  2. Place the cursor in the top left-hand corner of the text box in which you want to adjust the character sizing.

  3. Choose Character Sizing (Character Sizing).

    A dialog box appears in which you enter the following data:

    • The minimum font size in points

    • The maximum font size in points

    Note Note

    The minimum and maximum font size refers to the size of the last character in the text box, which is always a paragraph mark. During report generation, the text in the text box is reduced or increased in size so that this last paragraph mark lies within the specified range. Because the character must remain after the report is generated, a paragraph formatted as hidden after a control symbol (for example, <ERG000>) is not relevant.

    Each font size that appears in the report is reduced or increased in size step-by-step and in proportion. This means other texts that are formatted larger than the last paragraph mark become larger than the maximum permitted font size. In the same way, texts that are formatted smaller than the last paragraph mark can become smaller than the minimum permitted font size. If a text box is too small, the font size can only be reduced until the reference character has reached the minimum font size. If the selected size of the reference character is too small, it may not be possible to reduce the text size sufficiently.

    You should therefore make sure that the last paragraph mark in a text box that is not formatted as hidden is formatted with the same font size as the main text to which the minimum and maximum font size relates. Or, adjust the minimum and maximum font size to the last paragraph mark.

    End of the note.

    Example Example

    For a text box that is too small, the minimum font size was defined as 2 and the maximum font size as 12. The text box contains the following texts:

    • Headers: Font size 14

    • Text: Font size 10

    • Spacer paragraphs: Font size 4

    • Last character: Font size 4

    Since the last character has font size 4 and the minimum font size is defined as 2, the text in the text box can only be reduced by two steps in each case:

    • Headers from 14 to 12 to 11 (in accordance with the default font sizes in Microsoft Word)

    • Text from 10 to 9 to 8

    • Spacer paragraphs from 4 to 3 to 2

    End of the example.
Calculation of character sizing

Specify the following values for calculating character sizing in the WWI.INI file under [Dyntext] for MODE:

  • Value 0: Character sizing is controlled via the macro function of Microsoft Word. In other words, the character sizing is not calculated.

  • Value 1: Character sizing is calculated for the Label report type only. This is the default setting.

  • Value 2: Character sizing is calculated for all report types.

If you have specified the value 1 or 2 in the WWI.INI file, you can configure character sizing under [Dyntext] as follows:

  • PrinterDC

    • Specifies the device context used for character sizing.

    • Value 1: The device context of the standard printer is used to calculate the character sizing. This is the default setting.

    • Value 0: The device context of the screen is used. Using this setting for character sizing can lead to inaccurate results being displayed. For example, the font size displayed may be too small or too large.

  • Printer

    • Specifies the name of the printer whose device context is to be used for character sizing. Use the device context of a printer with the highest resolution possible. We recommend a resolution of 600 dpi. This setting also applies to label printers with quite low resolution. Trace: Controls the creation of a trace file for troubleshooting.

    • Value 1: A trace file is created.

    • Value 0: A trace file is not created. This is the default setting.

Example

See Example: Character Sizing