String Variables

Use string variables to concatenate multiple database columns.

For example, to insert customer names and addresses into a report, you could add the column for city, insert a text box for a comma, and add the column for state. When you print the report, you will find that the city and state are not always spaced correctly. For example, New York, NY, Brooklyn, NY, and Queens, NY would print as follows:

New York, NY

Brooklyn,   NY

Queens,      NY

If you create a string variable for city and state, however, the columns will always be aligned.

New York, NY

Brooklyn, NY

Queens, NY

Assume you call the string variable used to concatenate city and state address. This variable would appear in the Variable Builder as follows:

$CITY || ',' || ' ' || $STATE

When you create string variables: