VDM Tip # 12: Allow Markup Text

In this week's post I want to talk about and provide some usage examples of an option inside Finished Reports that allows the usage of HTML code to format values inside a single label.

Available Format Tags / Syntax / Examples

Text Format Tags

• Bold text

  • Syntax: <b></b>

  • Example: '<b>Bold text</b>'

• Italic text

  • Syntax: <i></i>

  • Example: '<i>Italic text</i>'

• Strikethrough text

  • Syntax: <s></s>

  • Example: '<s>Strikethrough text</s>'

• Underlined text

  • Syntax: <u></u>

  • Example: '<u>Underlined text</u>'

• Combination text

  • '<b><u> Bold and Underlined text </u></b> '

  • The <r> tag applies normal text formatting, resetting any existing bold, italic, underlined, and strikethrough formats following the tag.

    • '<b><u> Bold and Underlined text<r>Normal or Reset Format Text </u></b>'

MISC Format Tags

• Size

  • Syntax: '<size=value></size>'

  • Example: '<size=10>10pt text</size>'

• Color

  • Syntax: '<color=value></color>'

  • Example: '<color=red>Red Text</color>'

• Backcolor

  • Syntax: <backcolor=value></backcolor>

  • Example: '<backcolor=red>Red Highlight</backcolor>'

• Line break

  • Syntax: <br>

  • Example: 'Hello<br>World'

• Font

  • Syntax: <font></font>

  • Example: '<font=Helvetica>Helvetica text</font>'

• Subscript & Superscript

  • Syntax: , 

  • Example: '_{Subscript Text}' or '^{Superscript Text}'

• Hyperlink

  • '<href=value>Your URL</href>' or '<a href=value>Your URL</a>'

  • If the value contains a space, put the string in quotes.

  • value = the URL you want.

• Non-breaking Space

  • Syntax:<nbsp>

  • Example: 'Hello<nbsp>World'

Using Markup Text

1. Open the Finished Reports Designer.

2. Select the desired label you want to enable Allow Markup Text on.

3. Click on the Behavior properties for the selected label.

4. Enable the Allow Markup Text option on all desired labels.

5. Enter the expression editor for the label's text and create your expressions.

NOTE: Each argument in the expression editor needs to be separated with a plus ( + )

TIP: If you mouse over the section of text in the expression editor, you will see a preview of what the text will look like.

6. Save the desired changes.