Report Arguments at Runtime

[totallycovered]

Hi Everybody,

In have a grid. In that grid, I have a button displays a report. That report has a start date and an end date. I want the user to be prompted for those dates at run-time.

I viewed other threads that said to put {<Prompt at Run-time>} in the argument value. I did see that option when creating a link to a report from a tabbed UI. However, as you can see in my screenshot, that option is not automatically available in a grid object's javascript report event (see attached pic).

argument.jpg

So, I manually put {<Prompt at Run-time>} as the argument value in my report genie. That lets me save the report genie, but it doesn't cause a prompt when the report is displayed (and no records show up). I tried leaving the arguments blank in the genie, but when I try to save the genie I get an error that my arguments are blank and that I need to specify values for them.

When building the report, if I leave an argument blank with no default, I'm prompted for the values. Just not when running the report, presumably because I can't let the arguments stay blank nor do I know what to do to force a prompt.

Any help is welcome. I searched and I've been working on this all day, otherwise I would not bother you.

PS: According to the Welcome screen, I'm using the latest release (outside of the release candidates), version 11, build 3044, system addins 4041.

Derek

[DaveF]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

I believe the "Prompt at Run-time" only applies to desktop applications. Are you running the grid or the report from a Tabbed UI? If you add a grid or a report to a Tabbed UI component and they have arguments defined, you should get a warning message that they need to be bound. If you launch the Tabbed UI and then click on a component or report with unbound arguments, you should see input controls at the top of the Tabbed UI where you fill in the data for the arguments. It's not the best way to get input from the user, but it gets the job done. I'm not sure if the Tabbed UI will still display input controls for your report arguments if the report is opened from a grid.

[totallycovered]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

I suppose I can design a dialog into which users can put the starting and ending dates. There can be a button on there to fire off the reports, and I can populate the args with the values from the text boxes on the dialog. I was just hoping for a single button on a grid line, but life goes on.

[DaveF]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

Derek,

You can still launch the report via a button on the grid. I’m not sure if the Tabbed UI knows to automatically display input controls for the unbound report arguments since the grid is opening the report and not the Tabbed UI. You might try it first and see if the Tabbed UI can resolve these unbound report arguments. You can also display a popup dialog after the user clicks the grid button and have complete control over the report argument values (e.g., date/time picker, validation, drop downs). I think the Tabbed UI will only display textbox controls.

[totallycovered]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

It's 5am in California! Are you up early or really, really late?

My report has 3 arguments, a start date, end date, and ID. The ID is linked to the grid. I can't get the report, fired off by a button from the grid, to prompt for the starting and ending date. From the Tabbed UI, the report does have fields at the top that prompt for the starting and ending dates, and a submit button. But, of course, that doesn't have the ID, so the report would not be filtered properly.

I may upgrade to the latest pre-release version of Alpha today. I've been reading a significant amount of quirky reporting issues in the forums on the latest official build (3044). Some people are having errors, some are not, some are re-applying version patches and seeing success. I can only guess that this is a quirk, since my issues don't make any sense (to me).

Thanks for your input. Enjoy the sunrise, unless you're up late, in which case, holy cow!

[DaveF]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

I'm up early. I usually get up around 3 am and begin working in my robe for about 5-6 hours and later head in to the office. I've been using a pre-release build (V11, Build 3211) for about 2 weeks and have not experienced any problems. I'm not running live yet - still in development mode, hence the long hours. I've been up for 2 1/2 hours and it's still dark outside. Good luck!

[-Jinx-]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

I just did this yesterday so I can help you out if you want. Basically, I converted my report action to text mode and then coded in a very basic JavaScript prompt for the user to enter the values. I grabbed the values into variables a and put them in my arguments. If you switch your action to text mode and have a look, you'll see where they go.

[totallycovered]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

Thanks A H,

I did look at text mode, and that made sense. At least, it made sense to the degree that it could, as I'm a Javascript novice (read the book, tinkered with some code).

I think this is my relevant pre-made Javascript (the arguments for my report). For now, I added fields to my dialog for the report's starting and ending dates, since I couldn't get prompts to work. You'll see reference to those fields in the auto-code:

ro.arguments = 'Start_Date|Time|'+{dialog.object}.getValue('STARTDATE')+'||End_Date|Time|'+{dialog.object}.getValue('ENDDATE')+'||Shopper|Numeric|'+{dialog.object}.getValue('ID')+'';

This is where my ignorance shows: how would I construct the Javascript dialog to get the value for, say, {dialog.object}.getValue('STARTDATE') Should I put a line above that code prompting for a value, and then reference that value in place of {dialog.object}.getValue('STARTDATE') I'm not even sure if I'm moving in the right direction.

This may quickly get out of my league, I fear. Even if I could get a prompt to pop up, it presumably wouldn't have a date-picker on it, unless Javascript-enabled browsers have that capability built-in and it could be triggered by code. There's another thing for me to research.

Also, for those interested in the future, here's a screenshot of my current method of getting start- and ending-dates into my arguments. Basically, I used unbound fields in my dialog with date-pickers on them, which users fill out before hitting the button that creates the report.

_report.jpg

Thanks!

[-Jinx-]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

I'm no Javascript guru either...haha. Where's Andy when you need him?

Here's what I did in mine.

Near the top, just under var rowId

var datestring = prompt('Please enter the dates between which you would like to run this report.  Seperate the dates with two dots like the default example below:','01/01/2012..01/01/2013');
if(datestring!=null){
var date1 = datestring.split('..').shift();
var date2 = datestring.split('..').pop();
}

I figured I'd do it this way (in one string) to use the same QBF syntax people are used to with alpha.


Then further down by the arguments:

ro.arguments = 'Date1|Time|'+date1+'||Date2|Time|'+date2+'';

I'm sure there's a better way to do this that is all fancy and stuff but this works for me...haha.

[totallycovered]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

Thanks, that gives me a place to start.

Also, I did a search on Google for Javascript date-pickers, and found some cool free ones, such as jsDatePick. Their documentation looks very step-by-step simple. Theoretically, pasting a few files into your site folders, using their two lines of code to reference those files, and pasting their javascript code to create the prompts. I know you don't need this, but my users will. If someone reads this in the future, feel free to ask if I got this implemented successfully.

[-Jinx-]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

Thanks, that gives me a place to start.

Also, I did a search on Google for Javascript date-pickers, and found some cool free ones, such as jsDatePick. Their documentation looks very step-by-step simple. Theoretically, pasting a few files into your site folders, using their two lines of code to reference those files, and pasting their javascript code to create the prompts. I know you don't need this, but my users will. If someone reads this in the future, feel free to ask if I got this implemented successfully.

I'm pretty sure you can swipe the alpha5 date/time picker code out of; say, a dialog and use that. I played around with it a bit. I'll look to see if I still have it somewhere.

[-Jinx-]

Re: Report Arguments at Runtime

Try making a new, blank dialog; inserting a blank control, and then pick "Control Javascript". Inside you should be able to insert a pre-defined control from the library. One of the options is a jQueryDatePicker. In there, it also tells you how to set your project properties so that jQuery will load.
Anyway, you should be able to use that and customize it to your own needs.
It ends up looking something like this when you first select it.

jQuery('#{dialog.ControlIdEscaped}').datepicker(
    {
        onSelect: function(dateText, inst) {
            $e.execute(this,'change')
        }
    }
);

Then you should be able to copy that out and paste it in on other components in your project and modify it.

You could always just make a special dialog to run your report too. It could just have the two date controls in it and you could make it look just like any other popup.