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.