The standard display settings for database fields in the Datasheet depend on the type of fields in your database. You can change the formatting options of each field to effectively display your data. The format you apply only changes the appearance of the data. The format does not affect the actual field value in your database.
To modify the database field format:
Click Edit in the Fields group on the Datasources tab and select the database field you want to edit.
Enter the name for the field in the Name box.
Choose a format from the Format list box. The formats supported by FlexMail are:
| Text formats | Description |
|---|---|
| General | Displays text so that it is left aligned. |
| Postal | Displays the contents as a postcode formatted for a selected country. Please note that the behaviour depends on the country specified and the format will only be changed if the value is valid. |
| Number formats | Description |
|---|---|
| General | Displays a number so that it is right aligned, with no thousands separator, and preceded by a minus sign if negative. Displays up to 11 digits, or 10 digits with a decimal point, rounding additional digits to the right of the decimal point. Displays numbers with more than 11 digits to the left of the decimal point in scientific format. |
| Fixed | Displays numbers with up to 9 decimal places, a - (minus sign) for negatives, and a leading zero for decimal values. |
| Standard | Displays a number with a thousands separator and two digits to the right of the decimal point. The Windows regional settings for numbers determine what's used for the thousands separator. For example, using a comma as the thousands separator, 1,800.00. |
| Scientific | Displays numbers in scientific (exponential) notation. |
| Currency | Displays a number according to the Windows regional setting for currency, with a thousands separator if appropriate and two decimal places. For example, with the default United States English regional settings, $2,532.75. |
| Percent | Displays numbers as percentages (that is, multiplied by 100) with a percent sign. Decimal value is preceded by a leading 0. |
| Postal | Displays numbers as a postcode formatted for a selected country. Please note that the behaviour depends on the country specified and the format will only be changed if the value is valid. |
| Date and time | Description |
|---|---|
| Short date | Same as the Short Date setting in the Regional Settings Properties dialog box in Windows Control Panel. Example: 23/4/93. |
| Short date + time | Short format for date and time. The Short date format from the Windows regional setting is combined with the time format. |
| Long date | Same as the Long Date setting in the Regional Settings Properties dialog box in Windows Control Panel. Example: Saturday, April 23, 1993. |
| Long date + time | Long format for date and time. The Long date format from the Windows regional setting is combined with the time format. |
| Time | Same as the setting on the Time tab in the Regional Settings Properties dialog box in Windows Control Panel. |
| Boolean formats | Description |
|---|---|
| Yes/no | Displays No if the number is 0; displays Yes for any other number. |
| True/false | Displays False if the number is 0; displays True for any other number. |
| On/off | Displays Off if the number is 0; displays On for any other number. |
Select OK.
If a column is not wide enough to display a value in the format you selected, part of the value will be hidden. Use the mouse to widen the column and redisplay the value.