Product: CODESOFT
Version: All Versions
A ListField object allows you to import data from an external data source and display it as a structured table on your label design. The table is printed as part of the finished label and is commonly used for documents such as invoices, packing slips, purchase orders, and other business forms.
ListField objects are typically connected to external data files generated by ERP systems, legacy systems, or other business applications.
ListField Object Properties
The following properties can be configured for a ListField object:
- Font
Defines the font used by the ListField text. Click the browse button to open the Font dialog and configure font family, style, size, and other text formatting options. - Text
Specifies the value displayed in the ListField when fixed text is used. If the ListField is connected to a variable data source, this field is populated automatically from the selected data source. - Data Source
Select an existing variable data source that contains the information to be displayed in the ListField table. - Text Color
Specifies the color used for the ListField text. - Number of Vertical Blocks
Defines the number of vertical blocks that the ListField object uses.
Control Character Settings
Control characters determine how incoming data is separated into columns, rows, and tab positions within the ListField table.
- Column Separator
Defines the character that separates one column from the next. - Line Separator
Defines the character that starts a new row in the table. - Tab
Defines the character used to represent a tab within imported data.
Line Separator Settings
These settings control the appearance of the lines separating each row in the ListField table.
- Style
Determines the border style used between rows. - Width (mm)
Defines the thickness of the separator line. - Color
Specifies the separator line color.
Line Height and Margin Settings
These settings determine the spacing between rows and the margins inside the ListField object.
- Height
Sets the height of each ListField row. - Margin (1st) (mm)
Defines the distance between the top of the ListField object and the first row of text. - Margin (mm)
Defines the spacing between each subsequent row.
ListField Column Properties
In addition to the main ListField properties, each column in the ListField table has its own configurable settings. The next section describes each column property before demonstrating how to create a ListField object on a label.
- Table Preview Window
Displays a preview of the ListField table based on the column settings currently configured. - Add
Creates a new column in the ListField table - Delete
Removes the selected column from the ListField table. - Move Up
Moves the selected column upward in the column list. This changes the order of the columns displayed in the table. - Move Down
Moves the selected column downward in the column list. This changes the order of the columns displayed in the table. - Width (%)
Defines the percentage width of the selected column compared to the total ListField table width. The combined width of all columns cannot exceed 100%. - Tab
Defines the size of tab spacing when tab characters are included in the ListField text. - Ind. Left (mm)
Defines the minimum spacing between the left edge of the selected column and the column contents. - Ind. Right (mm)
Defines the minimum spacing between the right edge of the selected column and the column contents. - Line Style
Defines the style of the vertical border line separating the selected column from the column to the right. - Line Width
Defines the thickness of the vertical border line separating columns. - Line Color
Defines the color of the vertical border line separating columns. - Alignment
Controls how text is positioned inside the selected column. Available options include left alignment, right alignment, or centered alignment.
Adding a ListField Object to a Label
Follow the steps below to add and configure a ListField object in a CODESOFT label design. This procedure creates a ListField table using an external data file.
Procedure
To add a ListField object to a label:
1. Create a new label and select a Windows printer, such as a laser or inkjet printer. Right-click inside the label design area and select Page Setup. The Page Setup dialog box opens.
2. Open the Page tab and verify that the Page size (inches) setting is set to Letter.
3. Open the Label tab and configure the label size and number of labels using the following values:
Width: 8.250
Height: 10.750
Corner Roundness: 0.098
Per Row: 1
Per Column: 1
Width: 8.250
Height: 10.750
Corner Roundness: 0.098
Per Row: 1
Per Column: 1
4. Open the Margins tab. Set both the Left and Top margins to 0.250. Click OK to save the Page Setup settings.
5. From the View drop-down menu, select Mode, then choose Name.
6. From the View drop-down menu, select Zoom, then choose 100%.
7. Locate the Data Sources drop-down menu. Select Advanced, then click Add.
If the Data Sources pane is already open, select Advanced, right-click, and choose Add.
The Var0 Properties dialog box opens.
If the Data Sources pane is already open, select Advanced, right-click, and choose Add.
The Var0 Properties dialog box opens.
8. Locate the data source type drop-down menu, which is set to Local by default. Change the setting to From a File.
9. When the browse window opens, select the Order file (Order.txt).
The file is located in the program Data folder:
Shared Documents\Teklynx\Common\Data
Click Open.
The file is located in the program Data folder:
Shared Documents\Teklynx\Common\Data
Click Open.
10. Open the Output tab. In the Maximum Length field, enter 999. Click OK to create the new data source.
11. From the Creation toolbar, select the Extended Objects tool. From the submenu, select ListField.
The ListField object icon appears and prompts you to select where the object should be placed on the label.
The ListField object icon appears and prompts you to select where the object should be placed on the label.
12. Click the location where you want to place the ListField object.
The Properties dialog box opens.
The Properties dialog box opens.
13. Configure the font settings for the ListField object. Click the font browse button and use the following values:
Font: Verdana
Font Style: Bold
Size: 12
Font: Verdana
Font Style: Bold
Size: 12
14. Open the Data Source drop-down menu and select the Var0 variable created earlier.
The Text field automatically populates with the variable data from the selected data source.
The Text field automatically populates with the variable data from the selected data source.
15. Configure the Control Characters settings using the following values:
Column Separator: ;
Line Separator: $
Tab: \t
Column Separator: ;
Line Separator: $
Tab: \t
16. Configure the Line Separator settings. Set the following options according to your desired table formatting:
Style: Select the required line style.
Width: Define the line width.
Color: Select the desired separator line color.
Style: Select the required line style.
Width: Define the line width.
Color: Select the desired separator line color.
17. Configure the Line Height and Margins settings using the following values:
Height: 1.5 lines
Margin (1st): 0.114
Margin: 0.059
Height: 1.5 lines
Margin (1st): 0.114
Margin: 0.059
18. Select the ListField Columns tab to configure the individual table columns.
19. Click Add four times to create the four columns required for the ListField table.
20. Select the top row in the column list. This represents the left-most column in the final table. Configure the column properties using the following values:
Width (%): 45
Tab: 2
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.008
Line Color: Select a dark color
Alignment: Left
Width (%): 45
Tab: 2
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.008
Line Color: Select a dark color
Alignment: Left
21. Select the second row from the top in the column list. This represents the second column from the left in the final table. Configure the column properties using the following values:
Width (%): 20
Tab: 2
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.008
Line Color: Select the same dark color used previously
Alignment: Left
Width (%): 20
Tab: 2
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.008
Line Color: Select the same dark color used previously
Alignment: Left
22. Select the third row from the top in the column list. This represents the third column from the left in the final table. Configure the column properties using the following values:
Width (%): 15
Tab: 2
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.010
Line Color: Select the same dark color used previously
Alignment: Center
Width (%): 15
Tab: 2
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.010
Line Color: Select the same dark color used previously
Alignment: Center
23. Select the bottom row in the column list. This represents the right-most column in the final table. Configure the column properties using the following values:
Width (%): 10
Tab: 4
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.008
Line Color: Select the same dark color used previously
Alignment: Center
Width (%): 10
Tab: 4
Ind. Left: 0.079
Ind. Right: 0.079
Line Style: Leave at default
Width: 0.008
Line Color: Select the same dark color used previously
Alignment: Center
24. Select the Shape Settings tab.
25. Configure the ListField background shape settings:
Shape: Rectangle
Background: Enable the checkbox and select a light gray background color.
Click OK to save the settings.
Shape: Rectangle
Background: Enable the checkbox and select a light gray background color.
Click OK to save the settings.
26. The ListField object is now displayed on the label design screen.
To increase the size of the table and allow additional data to display, click and drag the bottom-right object handle to resize the ListField object as needed.
To increase the size of the table and allow additional data to display, click and drag the bottom-right object handle to resize the ListField object as needed.
Additional Information
The ListField object is now configured to display external data in a structured table format. The object can be adjusted further by modifying the data source, column settings, spacing, fonts, and appearance options described in this article.