Columns Property Page (template objects)

Use the Columns property page to add and delete columns and to specify alignment, width, and other options for each column in a Layout Grid or Table object.

The Columns pane lists the columns as they appear from left to right in the object. When you select a column in the Columns pane, its properties are displayed in the Column Properties pane.

The columns toolbar is located at the bottom of the Columns pane and includes the following controls:

The Columns Properties pane lists the properties for the column that is selected in the Columns pane. The properties that are available depend on whether you are configuring columns for a layout grid object or for a table object.

Layout Grid Object

Layout

Width Mode: Specifies how the width of the column is determined.
- Auto: Specifies that the minimum width of the column is first calculated based on the size of the content of each cell and the minimum width of the column. If the sum of all column widths is less than the minimum width of the overall layout grid object, then space is added to all of the "auto width" columns until the overall minimum object width is met. The space is divided between the columns so that the column widths are proportional to each other, according to the specified weights.
- Fixed: Specifies that the column width is set to the value that is specified by the Width property. If objects in the column are too large to fit the specified width, the objects are clipped. If the column width is larger than the objects that are contained in the column, cell content in the column is aligned by using the Horizontal Alignment setting.
Weight: Specifies the relative proportion of horizontal space that should be allocated to this column during excess space distribution, within a range of 1-1000. A column that has a lower weight takes up less horizontal space than a column that has a higher weight. Available when Width Mode is set to Auto.
Minimum Width: Specifies the minimum required size of the column. Available when Width Mode is set to Auto.
Maximum Width: Specifies the maximum width for the column. Available when Width Mode is set to Auto.
Width: Specifies the width of the column. Available when Width Mode is set to Fixed.
Horizontal Alignment: Specifies the horizontal alignment of the cells in the column.
Show if Empty: Specifies whether the column is visible on the printed item when all cells in the column are empty, such as might happen when objects in the column are not printed due their own print conditions. Column suppression occurs only at print time.

Table Object

Layout

Width Mode: Specifies how the width of the column is determined.
- Auto: Specifies that the minimum width of the column is first calculated based on the size of the content of each cell and the minimum width of the column. If the sum of all column widths is less than the minimum width of the overall layout grid object, then space is added to all of the "auto width" columns until the overall minimum object width is met. The space is divided between the columns so that the column widths are proportional to each other, according to the specified weights.
- Fixed: Specifies that the column width is set to the value that is specified by the Width property. If objects in the column are too large to fit the specified width, the objects are clipped. If the column width is larger than the objects that are contained in the column, cell content in the column is aligned by using the Horizontal Alignment setting.
Weight: Specifies the relative proportion of horizontal space that should be allocated to this column during excess space distribution, within a range of 1-1000. A column that has a lower weight takes up less horizontal space than a column that has a higher weight. Available when Width Mode is set to Auto.
Minimum Width: Specifies the minimum required size of the column. Available when Width Mode is set to Auto.
Maximum Width: Specifies the maximum width for the column. Available when Width Mode is set to Auto.
Width: Specifies the width of the column. Available when Width Mode is set to Fixed.
Horizontal Alignment: Specifies the horizontal alignment of the cells in the column.
Show if Empty: Specifies whether the column is visible on the printed item when all cells in the column are empty, such as might happen when objects in the column are not printed due their own print conditions. Column suppression occurs only at print time.

Shading

Shading Mode: Specifies whether you are configuring the shading for the selected column or for alternating columns (beginning with the selected column).

Normal: Specifies that the shading is applied to the selected column only.
- Fill: Displays the fill selection for the column. Click to open the Fill Options dialog, where you can configure the fill color and style for the column.
Alternating: Specifies that the shading is applied to alternating odd and even columns beginning with the selected column, which is identified as an odd column.
- Odd Column Fill: Displays the fill selection for the selected column and subsequent odd columns in the table. Click to open the Fill Options dialog, where you can configure the fill color and style for the odd columns.
- Even Column Fill: Displays the fill selection for the even columns. Click to open the Fill Options dialog, where you can configure the fill color and style for the even columns.

In a static table (a table that does not import dynamic data), when you specify the alternating shading mode on the Columns property page, the existing subsequent columns in the table are not automatically shaded. Instead, the shading is applied to any column that you subsequently insert to the left or right of the column to which you have applied this setting.

This option is especially helpful in a dynamic table when you specify the alternating shading mode for a column that has a Data table data template. In this case, the alternating shaded columns are dynamically created for the columns of data that are required. For more information about dynamic tables, refer to Creating Tables that Use Dynamic Data.

Table Data

Table Data options are available for columns in a table object when the Table Data setting is set to Arranged in Columns on the Table Data property page. Otherwise, the Table Data options are not available in the Column Properties pane, and the default content type is Data.

Template: Specifies the table data template that you want to use to display the data in the selected column.
- Data: Specifies that the column is repeated in the table for each data record that is available from the source.
- Table Header: Specifies that the column is displayed one time per table, on the first printed item only.
- Table Footer: Specifies that the column is displayed one time per table, on the last printed item only.
- Page Header: Specifies that the column is displayed one time, at the top of each printed item.
- Page Footer: Specifies that the column is displayed one time, at the bottom of each printed item.
- Group Header: Specifies that the column is displayed one time for each subsequent group of records that has the same value for the group-by field. The Group Header column displays the value of the group-by field for that group of records.
  - Group By: Specifies the field that you want to group the data by.
  - Page Break: Specifies that the next group of records is printed on a separate item.
- Group Footer: Specifies that the column is displayed one time for each prior group of records that has the same value for the group-by field. The Group Footer column displays the value of the group-by field for that group of records.
  - Group By: Specifies the field that you want to group the data by.
  - Page Break: Specifies that the next group of records is printed on a separate item.