Paragraph Properties Dialog

This dialog enables you to alter the 'look and feel' of a paragraph element.

It is accessed by clicking the Paragraph Properties button on the Edit Text dialog.

The dialog provides the following tabs:

General
Revert: Reverts the style in the related frame to match its direct parent. For example, select Table Column Heading in the Table Text branch and click Revert on the Effects frame on the Font tab. The font is reverted to match Table Text.
Inheritance: The format controls that are set for a style can either be set to that style or inherited from a parent. To determine whether an item has been inherited, hover the mouse over the field and a tool tip is displayed as either:
  • This value has been overridden.
  • This value is inherited.
Preview Pane: This displays a preview of the style applied from the current tab.
Font Tab
Use the Font and Effects fields to specify the formatting you want to apply to the currently selected style element.
Capitalisation: Select None to apply no capitalisation. Select Small to use small caps. Select Full to use large caps.

The Font tab provides inheritance description text below the Effects frame. This names the inherited style and then lists additional styles with a '+' and altered styles with a '-' character. For example, 'Normal + Font style: +bold -italic' denotes the inheritance of the Normal style, with the addition of bold and the removal of italic formatting.

Use Superscript to add text slightly higher than the main text, eg 2nd.
Use Subscript to add text slightly beneath the main text, eg H2O.
Paragraph Tab
Alignment: Use to specify the alignment of paragraphs, Left, Right or Centre. Select Full to specify a justified paragraph (that stretches to fill the full available width).
Indentation: To indent the paragraph, set the same value for both First line and Hanging. To specify a first line indent, set First line as greater than Hanging. To specify a hanging indent, set Hanging as greater than First line.
Spacing: Specify the spacing Before and After the paragraph. Use the Paragraph field to specify the vertical line spacing of the paragraph.

Paragraph can be set as a percentage of the font size or as an absolute value in millimetres.

Date Tab
Format: Select a date format or enter your own using the Date Syntax.
Number Tab
Format: Select a number format or enter your own via the Numbering dialog.
Borders Tab
Defaults: The top of the tab provides a set of default border styles.
Properties: You can customise the default border by clicking on the appropriate Border button relating to the edge you want to alter, via the Border Style dialog.
Spacing Tab
Unit of measurement: Select the unit to use on this tab. Points relates to font size.
All: Specify a general all round spacing. Outer relates to a margin outside the border. Inner relates to padding inside the border.
Outer: Use these fields to adjust the margin for particular edges.
Inner: Use these fields to adjust the padding for particular edges.
Background Tab
Click to select a background colour via the Color dialog.

Ensure that there is enough difference between the background and text colour for the output to be readable. Also, note that printing a dark background can use excessive printer ink.

Pagination Tab
Specify whether the currently selected element should be kept on the same page as the next elements. You can also add a page break before the element.

Excessive page breaks can make your reports run to a large number of pages.