Generate 2 A4 report pages to a A3 pdf

jeroenrottink · September 30

Hi TeamDM,

A customer asked if he could get a A4 report generated to a A3 pdf where 2 A4 pages would form one A3 page in a pdf document.
The report is currently setup as a A4 portrait report. He now generates a A4 pdf and afterwards he uses a pdf editor to merge and arrange every 2 pages together to form an A3 (landscape) report.

He would like to get rid of that extra step and get the A3 report right from ReportBuilder.

nicocizik · October 1

Hi Jeroen,

ReportBuilder is not designed to automatically handle this type of page arrangement.

One option you might explore is creating an A3 sized report (landscape) with A4 sized columns. This way each "page" would contain information from two A4 pages in sequence.

jeroenrottink · October 2

Hi Nico,

Thanks for the hint. The option with changing the layout to A3 landscape is working mostly for this report. Do you have an idea to mimic the PageNo/PageCount logic. The PageNo is working. I use a TppVariable calculated on ColumnStart. The PageCount should be the max(PageNo) calculated in the FirstPass, but this doesn't seem to be working.

nicocizik · October 2

Hi Jeroen,

In my quick testing, I was able to determine the total number of columns using a TppVariable with LookAhead set to True.

My test contains two integer TppVariables in the column footer, both set to calc on Start Column:

Variable 1: Keeps a running total by increasing its value by one in the OnCalc: Value := Value + 1;

Variable 2: Displays the total number of columns by setting Lookahead to True with the same calc logic: Value := Value + 1;

jeroenrottink · October 3

Hi Nico,

When using the solution with Lookahead it is working in a simple report. It doesn't work when it contains a child subreport. I send you a testcase by email.

jeroenrottink · October 7

The solution with LookAhead in combination with subreports is not working. For everybody interested there is another way.

Create a TppVariable varColumnNo. Put it in the column footer and set it to calculate ColumnStart.
Use Two pass report.
Use following RAP

var
ColumnCnt: integer;

procedure GlobalOnCreate;
begin
ColumnCnt := 0;
end;

procedure varColumnNoOnCalc(var Value: Variant);
begin
Value := Value + 1;
if (ColumnCnt < Value)
then ColumnCnt := Value;
end;

procedure varColumnNoOnGetText(var Text: String);
begin
Text := 'Page ' + Text + ' of ' + IntToStr(ColumnCnt);
end;

Generate 2 A4 report pages to a A3 pdf

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