>>One problem with this approach is if you add even one Contact type, you have to add a column to your main SELECT. Then you have to remember to add another Contact column in your report.
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>Unless you start off by selecting all the different distinct contact types and build the rest from there. If you want to get really fancy you can also find out the max number of repeating line info (like the person with 4 cell phones) in advance an work from that info. Then you will have overflows on some printers, so arguing to write out such a list into excel is the appropriate way - But in most projects there is not enough time to do everything in a more generic way<g>.

Yes, it could be done generically but like you say that would take time. You'd have to generate the SQL - SELECT statement. Also, there would probably need to be a SortOrder column on the Types table so you can fix the order in which the contacts appear in the report. Only the OP can judge if there's enough time/budget for that < g >