Calling a report with variables

[Colin Goss]

I have a membership database. I regularly need to pull reports, which list all the members of the various clubs. However the summaries (all calculated fields - recording numbers of deaths, resignations, exclusions, joining members for each club), need to reflect the period in question.

I tried using two date fields date1 [set as 01.07.2000]and date2 [date1+364 = 30.06.2001] which worked fine.

I then added a script in the calling routine, which set date1 as a variable fallowing a ui_get_date call. The programme crashed badly, so that I cannot edit, view or print that report at all.

What is the easiest way to call a report with variables, bearing in mind that the database dhould not be filtered, ranged, sorted or any other thing?

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Calling a report with variables

There are several discussions of using variables (from a calling script) to filter reports, just search the board.

On another note you state:

"which set date1 as a variable fallowing a ui_get_date call"

- I assume you are aware that ui_get_date() returns a character string which must be converted to a date? usually performed with ctod()

I sometimes forget that all the ui_get.. functions return character strings and the returned value must be manipulated.

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Calling a report with variables

Wasn't as easy to search for as I first thought - here's and example.

Msg ID: 41702
Subject: RE: Report Variables
Author: Bill Warner
Date: 05-23-2001 10:22
File:

Here's a script I use to establish start and end dates. You'll note that I have declared the variables as global, so I can use the dates whereever I want:

dim global d1 as d
dim global cd1 as c
dim global d2 as d
dim global cd2 as c

cd1=ui_get_date("START DATE","Enter start date.",dtoc(d1))
cd2=ui_get_date("END DATE","Enter end date.",dtoc(d2))

d1=ctod(cd1)
d2=ctod(cd2)

D1 and D2 are the actual date variables (CD1 and CD2 are the character equivalents, and are only used in this script).

You would use VAR->D1 and VAR->D2 to evaluate your start and end dates in each report.

[Colin Goss]

RE: Calling a report with variables

OK I didn't set out all that I had done.

I had converted the dates to actual dates rather than characters by using ctod.

In the report I had calculated fields on the lines of "Report starting from "+alltrim(str(date1)) etc. I also had calculated fields counting the numbers of members falling within the two dates etc.

However it would appear from reading the other forum entries that if the field thinks that the date is blank, it falls over, and that is what happened to me. I now cannot print, review or edit the report.

How do I ensure this cannot happen.

In the Xbasic book, there is a suggestion about using the input into the onprintinit, but that option does not seem to appear on my reports.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Calling a report with variables

Colin,

Perhaps your variable date1 needs to be global.

To insure that it's not blank when the report is called, add a line to the button script which calls the report, and assign a default value to the variable before the report is opened.

If you have blank dates in your data tables, they can be filled with default values using an update operation. Once they're all filled, you could modify your data entry routines to prevent a new record from being saved whenever the date field is blank. Should help a lot.

-- tom

[Terry Morgan]

RE: Calling a report with variables

Try looking for my "Set Dates" example in the code archive this should help.
Terry

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Calling a report with variables

Colin,

Here's a simple example illustrating one approach to calling a report, and filtering it's output based on variables supplied by the user.

Unzip the attachment to a separate folder. Do not mix it with your development work.

-- tom

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Calling a report with variables

Colin,

I've expanded the example to include illustrations for:

1) using variables to filter detail records in the called report.

and

2) leaving the detailed records unfiltered, but using variables to count number of records that fall within the specified date range.


On re-reading your original post I think possibly the second case will be closer to what you are looking for.

-- tom