> I have a big problem. It's not really a IBO related question, but I don't know where else to ask. My user wants a apllication to store "text", but not just text, formatted text, like MS-Word, I've made something like that with a TIB_RichEdit component, he had the possibilities to set text bold, italic, underline, colors and things like that. but now he's asking to insert tables like in Word, and that the tables automatically resizes when text is getting too long, all in that TIB_RichEdit field. The whole thing is used to make quotations, where we have a table with the header, and a detail table where the text is saved. I just answered that a office application isn't the same as a database application. Just like you can't use Excel to make a database with. But of course he's expecting a solution, what should I do ?
>
> Please help me, I'm drowning :-))))

I note that the question says 'LIKE MS-Word'. How about
html?

I use RTF with IBO to give me all the formatting capability,
but one of my customers wants the next stage - tables, and
we are looking at outputing html pages. These provide all
the scaling, and building tables is actually quite easy.

I have an aversion to adding MS Office to any machine I
install, I just don't see the need for that exorbitant
expence, so a solution that is Microsoft free.

Taking a step back - If you just want to output quotations,
then FastReport seems fine to me. You get a preview of what
is going out ( had gone out ) but you never actually store
the 'raw' pages. I generate a complex meetings diary with
coloured RTF sections populated for some entries and omitted
for others, it has a table structure, and is very flexible,
with the advantage that the customer can change layout
without needing to change the program.

My Stock management system produces several delivery,
picking, and invoice reports, all with the customers logo
on, and tabulated as required.

--
Lester Caine
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L.S.Caine Electronic Services