Network And Report Page Setup ~ LEARN MS-ACCESS TIPS AND TRICKS

Introduction

When an MS-Access Application is installed on a network, security is one of the major issues that the Database Developer has to tackle. This includes the security of data and objects within the Database and the Database file itself. To learn more about securing a database on a Network, visit the following link:

Microsoft Access Security.

We’re now going to address another common issue often faced by users, which is usually resolved temporarily through alternative methods. When MS Access reports are designed for a specific printer on the network and all users share that printer, there are generally no problems. However, if users attempt to print the report on a different printer—either another network printer or a local printer—the report may not print correctly. Differences in default paper size, page orientation, or margin settings between printers can cause the report layout to appear incorrect when printed.

To work around this issue, users typically need to preview the report, open the Page Setup menu if necessary, and manually adjust the paper size, page orientation (portrait or landscape), and margins before printing. This option is only available if the Report Page Setup command is accessible to the user. If the application uses customized menus and toolbars, this option may not be visible, complicating the process further.

For more details on Customized Menus and Toolbars, visit the following Links:

Reports PrtDevMode Property

To make printing easier for users, we can modify the PrtDevMode property of a report through a program to automatically adjust critical parameters—such as paper size, page orientation (portrait or landscape), and margins—before sending the report to the printer. This ensures that the report prints correctly on any printer.

The PrtDevMode property is a 94-byte structure containing multiple parameters that can be modified via code to control how the printer behaves.

For this example, we’ll focus on two simple parameters for our report. Our sample report is designed in landscape mode and is to be printed on A4 paper (210 × 297 mm). We must modify the following member parameters of the PrtDevMode property of the default printer:

Orientation - Valid Values: 1 = Portrait, 2 = Landscape.
PaperSize 9 = A4 (210 x 297 mm)

Working with the Report.PrtDevMode Property Values

The above options (Orientation and Paper size) appear on the Page tab in the Page Setup Dialog box in the File Menu. We are trying to change these values at run-time through the Program.

Open a new Standard Module (Global Module) in your Database and copy the following code into the module and save it.

Private Type str_DEVMODE
    RGB As String * 94
End Type

Private Type type_DEVMODE
    strDeviceName As String * 16
    intSpecVersion As Integer
    intDriverVersion As Integer
    intSize As Integer
    intDriverExtra As Integer
    lngFields As Long
    intOrientation As Integer
    intPaperSize As Integer
    intPaperLength As Integer
    intPaperWidth As Integer
    intScale As Integer
    intCopies As Integer
    intDefaultSource As Integer
    intPrintQuality As Integer
    intColor As Integer
    intDuplex As Integer
    intResolution As Integer
    intTTOption As Integer
    intCollate As Integer
    strFormName As String * 16
    lngPad As Long
    lngBits As Long
    lngPW As Long
    lngPH As Long
    lngDFI As Long
    lngDFr As Long
End Type

Public Sub PaperAndOrient(ByVal strName As String)
    Const DM_PORTRAIT = 1
    Const DM_LANDSCAPE = 2
    Const DM_PAPERSIZE = 9
    Dim DevString As str_DEVMODE
    Dim DM As type_DEVMODE
    Dim strDevModeExtra As String
    Dim rpt As Report

   ' Opens report in Design view.
    DoCmd.OpenReport strName, acDesign
    Set rpt = Reports(strName)

    If Not IsNull(rpt.PrtDevMode) Then
        strDevModeExtra = rpt.PrtDevMode
        DevString.RGB = strDevModeExtra
        LSet DM = DevString
        DM.lngFields = DM.lngFields Or DM.intOrientation
        'Initialize fields.
        DM.intPaperSize = DM_PAPERSIZE
        If DM.intOrientation = DM_PORTRAIT Then
            DM.intOrientation = DM_LANDSCAPE
        End If

        ' Update property.
        LSet DevString = DM
        Mid(strDevModeExtra, 1, 94) = DevString.RGB
        rpt.PrtDevMode = strDevModeExtra
    End If
    DoCmd.Close acReport, strName, acSaveYes
    DoCmd.OpenReport strName, acViewPreview
    Set rpt = Nothing

End Sub

The User-Defined Types str_DEVMODE and Type_DEVMODE

At the beginning of the code, two new user-defined data types, str_DEVMODE and type_DEVMODE, are declared. The report’s PrtDevMode property value is copied into this structured data area, allowing us to modify specific elements and update them back into the report before printing.

Within str_DEVMODE, a member named RGB is defined as a 94-byte string. This 94-byte area contains 26 different parameters of various data types and sizes, which are individually defined under the type_DEVMODE structure. By transferring the data from str_DEVMODE (a single block of 94 characters) into type_DEVMODE, we can modify individual parameter values before writing them back into the report’s Page Setup.

NB: If the Database is implemented with Microsoft Access Security, then all Users must have the Report Design Change Authority to run this procedure.

Preparing for a Trial Run

To try out our Program, open one of your Reports with Landscape Page Orientation in Design View.
Select Page Setup from the File Menu.
Select the Page Tab on the Dialog Box.
Change Orientation to Portrait.
Change Paper Size to A6.
Save the Report and open it in Print Preview to check how it looks with the change.
Close the Report after viewing.
Create a Command Button on an existing Form or on a new Form and keep the Form in Design View.
Display the Property Sheet of the Command Button (Alt+Enter or View -> Properties).
Change the Name Property Value to cmdPreview.
Copy and paste the following code into the Code Module (View -> Code) of the Form.
```
Private Sub cmdPreview_Click()
     PaperAndOrient "MyReport"
End Sub
```
Replace "MyReport" with your own Report Name.
Save the Form and open it in a normal view.
Click the cmdPreview button to run the program, to change the Page setup correctly, and open it in Print Preview.

Type PaperAndOrient "MyReport" in the Debug Window (Ctrl+G) and press Enter to run the Program directly without the Form and Command Button.

Open the Report again in design view and check whether the erraneous changes that you have made manually in the Page Setup Dialog Box, to test the program, have now been corrected through the program or not.

Next, we will see how to change the values on the Margins tab of the Page Setup Dialog Box through the Program.