Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

[wolf]

Hi,

Thank you in advance to all those that have helped me.

I have a question pls.

I have used summaraize operations to create me totals and have used the following to collect data from date to date range and put into a table for me.

(date_1 >= var->AskD_From_Date ) .and. (date_1 <= var->AskD_To_Date )

The way it works is by clicking on a button which activates the above summarize operation then the report is launched by using this data collected by the above.

What I would like to do is to add in the footer of teh report the from and to date via a text field.

Is there anyway to do this?

Thank You

Joe

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

No. That's one of the reasons I suggested you learn other methods of obtaining user input.

If you use form variables or xdialog variables and dim them as global you can reference them in the form design ie place them in the report footer.

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Stan,

Thank you for the reply. I guess its all a learning experience.

Is there a sample database with how variables are used?

Joe

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Joe, try this.

In your report design, remove the filter expression. Then use the "V" tool on the report design toolbar to define two global variables of data type "D". (for date) One will be for the beginning date, the other for the ending date, right?

Then drag / drop both variables into your report layout's page or report header band.

Save your report.

Now open your form in design mode and define the same variables as Global, and drop them on your form layout. Run your form. Insert begin and end dates into the variables and push your button to call your report.

The values entered in the form should now appear in the report at print / preview time. Pat yourself on your back, you've just passed variables from the form to the report.

This sequence is step 1.

Step 2 is using the variables in your report layout to re-define the required filter expression.

Have fun, let us know how this goes.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Joe,

I did put this reply into the other thread too.

Try these two videos: http://screencast.com/t/MZgX7iWE and http://screencast.com/t/QYbzRb0Vm1

Hope they help you.

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Thanks for your reply Keith.

Tom has been a great help as well and showed me on skype how to achieve this.

Will test it shortly.

Joe

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

OK Thanks Keith your screencasts are very helpful.

Tried using the filter condition below and was hoping for the date pop up messages to appear but its not when the summarize operation is activated.

Is this possible or do I need to tackle it another way?

The variables are vd_begin_date and vd_end_date.

(date_1 >= var->vd_begin_date ) .and. (date_1 <= var->vd_end_date )

Thanks Again

Joe

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Joe,

Tried using the filter condition below and was hoping for the date pop up messages to appear but its not when the summarize operation is activated.

I don't understand this, what has this got to do with selecting records for your report?

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Keith,

This is all sorted and is all working.

A lack of sleep was the culprit. Works well.

Thank you to everyone for replying and helping me out.
Joe

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Keith,

This is all sorted and is all working.

A lack of sleep was the culprit. Works well.

Thank you to everyone for replying and helping me out.
Joe

Hi Joe
Please describe the way you solved this other than sleep LOL
It's quite an important topic.

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hello,

I opened up my report in design mode and clicked on the v button to add variables. Clicked on Global and added them here so they can be shared through out the program.

The variables I added are vd_begin_date and vd_end_date

eg

vd_begin_date = {}
vd_end_date = {}

Put the above in global and save.

These now appear under the variables section near the tool box in reports. You can add both to the report and you can add for example Report Date Range from to
in between the two you just dragged onto the form. The dates that pop up here are from when you add the dates on the form latter on below.

Next in my Summarize operation I added

Field -> "Filter" next column Summarization I added Null next column in operation I added (date_1 >= var->vd_begin_date ) .and. (date_1 <= var->vd_end_date )

You can use Alpha genies to create this code if you like.

In my wisdom I expected pop box to appear to add the dates once the summarize operation was activated by clicking on it but nothing happened so had to activate this another way.

Next I opened up a form in design mode and added the variables again in global.

I then dragged these from the toolbar section onto the forms. With Alphas magic 2 text boxes were added for the dates with the calendar pop up.

I added a button and added some code on activate to run the summarize operation, followed by opening the report.

Running the Report

I ran the form, added the dates then clicked on the button.

What happens here is very simple. The summarize operation is activated first and collects the data within date range via the variables (via the form where I added these manually) and puts this into the output table for me.

Then the report was activated (when I clicked on the button after the summarize operation) and I have the report with the required data.

The report itself when run had its own scripts to show the top 20 with the data showing only with t fields. T for True.

That's it really.

Hope this helps and its easy to understand.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Joe,

I added a button and added some code on activate to run the summarize operation, followed by opening the report.

I hope you mean OnPush rather than OnActivate?

It seems to me that you are not collecting the range dates from a dialog box as shown in the two videos I made for you.

The way you have it, a user can press the report button without selecting any dates. That does lead to frustration on the part of the user, as they then have to start over, when they could of been made to collect the dates in the first place.

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Its good.
To avoid overpopulating the global var population I standardise on one start date and finish date var used in any every other aspect of the system for reporting

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Hi Keith,

Yep your right.
I tried the Dialog box early this morning and did not get it to work.

Just applied it again now and it works well.

If anyone is going to use the text fields best thing to do is disable the button and on change event or something similiar of the second date you can activate the button again.

Your way though is better.

Yep if I need to create 20 reports I would only use the 2 variables for all reports.

Thanks

Joe

[wolf]

Re: Pass Date from and Date to Entered into Report

Keith one question.

If there is no data, the report will be blank.

Is there a way to avoid this or show a message box eg no data in report?

Joe