Using Placeholders Instead of One Big Expression in ProLaw^® Reports

An expression in ProLaw^® reports is not limited to one field — it can combine multiple fields and text, like:

="Page " & Globals!PageNumber & " of " & Globals!TotalPages

Breaking this down:

• "Page " — text within an expression is surrounded by quotes.
• & — ties things together (use + for adding numbers).
• Globals!PageNumber — the current page number.
• Globals!TotalPages — total pages in the report.

The Preferred Way: Multiple Placeholders

Instead of one big expression, use multiple placeholders in a single textbox:

1. Double click into a text box and type "Page".
2. Add a space, then right-click and select Create Placeholder…
3. Enter the page number field and click OK twice.
4. Type " of ", right-click, and Create Placeholder…
5. Add the Total Pages field and click OK twice.

This approach is much easier to read and modify in the report builder. You can also format each placeholder independently by double-clicking it and changing the placeholder properties.

Multiple placeholders is the preferred way of working. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to put everything into one expression.