Sometimes , even after following the instructions in the article "Getting Slide Objects to Work," objects still will not slide correctly through a blank field.
or
Using Match Records or a calculation with the function ISBLANK does work properly evaluate empty fields.
We have found that data imported from other applications (e.g. DIF format from Symantec Q&A on DOS) sometimes includes invisible characters. This causes a field to look blank when really, it contains a value. Thus, the field does not slide.
If this is just happening with 1 or 2 fields and relatively few records, there is an easy solution:
1. Sort the database by the field that 'appears' empty. This will put the fields that appear empty together at the start of your database, or at the end, or both.
2. In Browse mode, click in the field in question that appears (and needs to be) blank.
3. Keeping the Command key held down, type A, then Delete, then Return. This selects all of the contents of the field, deletes it, then takes you to the same field in the next record.
4. Do this (A,Delete,Return) through all 'blank' fields at start and/or end of your database. solution is to perform calculations on all the fields that need to slide.
Another solution is to use calculation fields to strip the invisible characters. For example, if you are printing labels and City, State and Zip are not sliding up through 'Address2' when it contains a blank value, define a calculation with this formula:
Line 2 (Calculation, Text result) = If (ISBLANK ('Address2'),"",'Address2')
Use the calculation field on the label layout in place of the original 'Address2' field. The calculation field filters out the invisible characters.
NOTE: Calculation fields can be changed back into Text fields once they are calculated, and will retain their values. Since this successfully strips the hidden characters, it is a viable procedure for eliminating the corruption, and then returning to a normal file size.