![[spacer]](1p.gif){kind=small}
The formatting displayed for certain string and currency fields in Microsoft Dynamics GP is based on the value of an integer field called a format field. You specify a format field to use by selecting a field in the Format Field list of the Report Field Options window. The integer value contained in the selected format field specifies how to format the report field.
|
Don’t apply a specific format to a report field and use the Report Field Options window to specify a format field for the same report field; the format results will be unpredictable. |
When you select a format field for a currency field, the possible formats for currency fields and the integer value associated with them are shown in the following table.
|
Integer |
Format |
Integer |
Format |
|---|---|---|---|
|
0 |
Control panel defaults |
10 |
$1,234.567 |
|
1 |
1,234 |
11 |
$1,234.5678 |
|
2 |
1,234.5 |
12 |
$1,234.56789 |
|
3 |
1,234.56 |
13 |
1,234% |
|
4 |
1,234.567 |
14 |
1,234.5% |
|
5 |
1,234.5678 |
15 |
1,234.56% |
|
6 |
1,234.56789 |
16 |
1,234.567% |
|
7 |
$1,234. |
17 |
1,234.5678% |
|
8 |
$1,234.5 |
18 |
1,234.56789% |
|
9 |
$1,234.56 |
|
|
The integer value used to indicate the format used can be stored in a table along with the currency field being formatted. When the record is retrieved from the table, the currency field will display as it did when the record was saved. The format field can also be used for a report, allowing the currency field to appear in the report as it did when it was saved in the table.
|
Microsoft Dynamics GP can define its own formats, in addition to those shown in the previous table. This capability is used to define currency format information for multicurrency support. |
For string fields, the integer value indicating the format to use corresponds to the position of the format string in the Format Definition window.
The following example describes a Part Number field that has three different format strings. The user selects the format to apply by selecting the corresponding format in a drop-down list linked to the Part Number field. The three format strings for the Part Number field, entered in the Format Definition window, are shown in the following illustration.
The presence of a format field typically won’t affect modifications you make to reports. You need to watch for fields that have a format field specified. If you make modifications to these fields, be sure the format field remains unchanged so the data in the field continues to display properly.
Another situation to be aware of occurs when Microsoft Dynamics GP uses a format field to apply multicurrency formatting to currency fields for a report. All of the currency fields in the report will use a format field typically named Currency Index. The value of this field indicates what multicurrency formatting will be applied to all of the currency fields linked to it. If you add currency fields to the report, be sure those fields use the same format field that Microsoft Dynamics GP is using.