_pcolno

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Identifies or sets the current column number of streaming output.

Syntax

_pcolno = <expN>

<expN>

The column number at which to begin printing. The valid range is 0 to 255, inclusive. You can specify a fractional number for <expN> to position output accurately with a proportional font.

Default

The default for _pcolno is 0.

Description

Use _pcolno to position printing streaming output from commands such as ?, ??, and LIST.

When you direct output to the printer, dBASE Plus maps each character according to the coordinate plane, a two-dimensional grid. The coordinate plane is divided into character cells whose widths depend on the value of _ppitch. See the table in the description of _ppitch, which lists _ppitch values. The height of each character cell is determined by the size of the font.

If you change the value of _pcolno, dBASE Plus takes the current value of _ppitch into consideration when calculating the cell width of the coordinate plane. This happens regardless of whether you're printing with proportional or monospaced fonts.

The PCOL( ) function also returns the current printhead position of the printer, but if SET PRINTER is OFF, the PCOL( ) value doesn't change. _pcolno, on the other hand, returns or assigns the current position in the streaming output regardless of the SET PRINTER setting.