Using the Number Sheet

The Number sheet of the Field Properties dialog is displayed when you click the Number tab. (The Number tab is visible only when you have selected a number or currency field.) Use the Number sheet to change the number or currency formats for the current report field.

Number and currency formats have system default values. You can set your own report-wide default values by using the Report Formats dialog, if required. (For details about setting number and currency default formats, see "Setting Report Formats" under "Using Administrative Functions", earlier in this chapter.) Use the Number sheet to override the default values for the current field.

An example of the Number sheet is shown in the following image.

To change the properties on the Number sheet of the Field Properties dialog

1. Check the Use Default Format check box to reset all of the number properties to the default values. If you select this option, the report default values or the system default values are displayed and take effect.

   For details about setting number and currency default formats, see "Setting Report Formats" under "Using Administrative Functions", earlier in this chapter.

   The Use Default Format check box is checked by default. If you make any changes to the format of a numeric or currency field on this dialog, the Use System Default check box automatically unchecks itself, indicating that the report defaults are no longer being used. Alternatively, to begin making your changes, you can manually uncheck this check box.

   The Sample Field group box at the bottom of the sheet displays samples of the selected formats.

2. Select the Number option button or the Currency option button to indicate whether this report field is a numeric or a currency field.

   There are some differences in the remaining controls on the dialog, depending on whether you select the number option or the currency option.

3. In the Positive list box (visible for currency fields only), select how you want the currency symbol displayed in relation to the currency amount.

4. In the Negative list box, select how you want the negative sign (-) displayed in relation to the number or currency amount.

5. In the Currency Symbol text box (visible for currency fields only), enter the currency symbol that you require.

6. In the 1000's Separator text box, enter the character that you want to use to separate the thousands in your number or currency values.

7. In the Decimals Separator text box, enter the character that you want to use to separate the whole numbers from the decimals in your number or currency values.

8. In the Decimals text box, enter the number (0 through 9) of decimal places that you want printed.

9. To suppress the printing of zero (0) in front of the decimal point when the number or currency amount is less than one (1), uncheck the Show Leading Zero for Decimals check box.

10. To suppress the printing of a number or decimal if it is zero (0), check the Suppress If Zero check box (visible only for number fields).

11. Click another tab if you want to make changes on other sheets of the Field Properties dialog.

12. Click the Apply button to apply the changes you have made or click the Close button to close the Report Formats dialog.

    To save the recent changes when you close the dialog, you must click the Apply button immediately prior to closing the dialog. To abandon any changes that you have made but not yet applied, do not click the Apply button immediately prior to clicking the Close button.