If you display database information in different ways, you may want to save your spreadsheet layouts to a format file. Format files define the following information for each spreadsheet column:
- The column heading.
- The column width.
- The block field to which the column corresponds.
By saving spreadsheet layouts, you eliminate the need to recreate them. Database Manager saves your spreadsheet layout in format files residing in the FIX Local path by default. These files have the extension .FMT.
Loading a format file is like creating a spreadsheet layout. It appears in the Properties dialog box, allowing you to modify it as needed. In addition, when Database Manager opens the format file, the program replaces the current set of spreadsheet columns with the ones listed in the format file. If a block does not include a field that corresponds to one of the new columns, the text "----" appears in that cell.
