Report Numbering

[TheToeOfPooh]

Can this be achieved even though the database is opened and closed several times a day?

There are 4 reports (which are generated by queries) produced to show print jobs which are either duplicates or where the printed total is <> the job total.

On the hard copies our Supervisors then sign-off against each occurance.

I am trying to track each report and the corresponding sign-offs.

My idea:
When a report is run a sequential number appears and is printed in the header.
If I then have reports No1-5 returned with No7 I know that one report is outstanding and from the dates & times can back-track it.

Can this be done and if so how?

Bernard

 

[Andrew Fergus]

Hi Bernard

I think this *should* be able to be done but I have not done it myself. I think there might be quite a bit of set-up involved and I'm not convinced there will be 100% integrity. So the following comments are merely my thoughts on this and not really a step-by-step solution (in other words I haven't done it or tried it and have no idea if this will work)

If you create a new table with a report id / number and date/time stamp, you could add a new record to the table each time a report is "printed" (see below re "printed" issues) with a max + 1 append query. I believe you should be able to pull this value through to each report on a text box (not necessarily linked, but it pulls through the greatest value). The max and append queries would run as part of the report printing macro / expression.

However, how would you know when a report is printed and not merely previewed? You wouldn't want to create false records based on a preview. What about if the user prints using Ctrl-P or the printer icon on the toolbar or from the menu such that the macro / expression were not invoked? Could these be disabled - probably, but would you want to?

Another thought - why track the reports? Why not track the incidences instead? In your print job table, how about adding a couple of fields (such as a supervisor name and resolution) - these fields represent the fact a report has been given to that supervisor and the incident is either resolved / unresolved. If the resolution is not forthcoming then another report could be sent to the supervisor perhaps? This way you could track open "incidents" instead of the paper reports.

Just my thoughts - sorry for being vague.

Andrew

 

[TheToeOfPooh]

Andrew

Thank you for your thoughts on this.

I am without any support here so any advice like this is very welcome. The "disclaimer" is also appreciated, I will proceed with caution.

I'll post back my results.

Bernard

 

[TheToeOfPooh]

The following will provide the solution (from Andrew) which I used.

See Thread headed.
If Time then report number using Now()

Bernard

 

[CT Witter]

Following up with what andrew93 said, this KB Article:

ACC: How to Maintain a Print Log for Reportshttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;154894

will maintain a print log. Then you can use the count and max functions to determine what number to place on the current report.

HTH,
CT