Pre-Setting BOX Position Arguments (SAP Library - BC Style and Form Maintenance)

Pre-Setting BOX Position Arguments

You can use the POSITION and SIZE commands to preset some arguments in the BOX command. POSITION presets the start point (upper left corner) of a box or line. SIZE specifies the width and height of a box.

You can use POSITION and SIZE to preset arguments, but you can also set the start point and size arguments of a box or line directly in the BOX command.

By default, if no positioning is specified, the upper left corner of a box or halftone or the top of a line is aligned with current SAPscript window. That is, the upper left corner of the box, halftone, or line starts at the upper left corner of the current window in the active form. By default, the height and width of a box are set to the height and width of the current window.

Use POSITION and SIZE to preset the arguments in a BOX command in the following situations:

The BOX command exceeds the 132-character (1 line in SAPscript) length limitation if you specify all arguments directly in the command. You may exceed this length limit if, for example, you use symbols in a command.

By pre-setting arguments with POSITION and SIZE, you can work around the limitation on the length of a command. You do not need to specify the preset arguments in the BOX command.

You want to use the enhanced capabilities of POSITION for adjusting the starting point of a box or line.

With BOX, you can specify an offset for the starting point only as a whole number (non-negative integer). This command would print a box starting 1 CM to the right and 1 CM down from the left upper corner of a window:

/: BOX XPOS '1' CM YPOS '1' CM

With POSITION; you can adjust the position of a line or box relative to a window much more precisely. In the POSITION command, you can specify positive and negative offsets and use non-integer numbers.

Example: The commands shown below position a box slightly to the left and slightly above a window. This leaves a margin between the edge of the box and the text in the window.

/: POSITION XORIGIN '-.2' CM YORIGIN '-.2' CM
/: SIZE WIDTH '+.2' CM HEIGHT '+.2' CM
/: BOX FRAME 10 TW

(Note that the box must be enlarged to accommodate the shift. If it is not enlarged, then it will not cover all of the window.)

You can also use POSITION to set the starting point to the upper left corner of the active page format. Example: POSITION PAGE moves the starting point from the active window to the active page format.

You want to use the relative sizing capabilities of SIZE to adjust the size of a box, line, or halftone.

With BOX, you can make only absolute size specifications. BOX HEIGHT, for example, overrides the default height setting to the height of the current window.

With SIZE, you can adjust the size of a box or a line with respect to its previously-set dimensions. The following commands would, for example, draw a frame 1 CM in from the margins of the paper:

/: POSITION PAGE
/: POSITION XORIGIN 1 CM YORIGIN 1 CM
/: SIZE PAGE
/: SIZE HEIGHT '-2' CM WIDTH '-2' CM