>>I have a VFP report writer problem I can’t seem to resolve. The report is an invoice with a line item description field that is marked to “stretch with overflow,” so it may be several lines deep. I want vertical border lines between the columns of the report (item number, quantity, description, price, extended price), and a horizontal border line at the bottom of the page or band only. So that the entire detail band on the page is enclosed by a contiguous border around its outside edges, plus internal vertical-only border lines between columns. The horizontal line must appear at the bottom of the detail band on the last page as well as on the bottom of each preceding page, so I have it in both the page footer band and the group footer band with the group footer checked to “print when” only on the last page (number of pages determined by a double pass).
>>
>>I can’t find a way to make the vertical border lines (part of the detail band that stretch with the band) extend all the way to meet the bottom-of-page horizontal line consistently. Sometimes they do, but other times a space is left, depending on the position of the last line of the line item description in the detail band, which varies because of the “stretch with overflow.” And the page footer persists in printing in the same position regardless of anything else going on in the report. I’ve tried using _PLINENO to determine position on the page, but it seems to be completely non-functional in VFP.
>>
>>Can anybody help?
>1st rule of thumb - avoid vertical lines!:)
>But when you have to use them ... ensure that the bottom of the line extends into the detail bar, this will drag it down. The horizontal line then goes in the group footer and at the top of the detail. Why the top? Because you always know where it is. If you don't want it printed on the first line or when the group changes - get creative with the print when command. There's usually a smart way of doing it. In the past I've had a report variable which increments for each record but when the group changes is reset to 1. The line's print when is for var>1
>
>hope this helps. However, all of this is from fox 2.6 but from the little I've done in VFP the report writer hasn't really changed.

Thanks. I'm beginning to thing that your 1st rule of thumb is the real answer! The other stuff I've mostly tried already, however your idea on a report var has given me some other ideas I will try. And you're right, mostly nothing has changed in the report writer from fox 2.6 (regretably), except _plineno has taken a powder! :-)