Focal Point
Working With Report Variables

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March 06, 2008, 08:47 AM
SamF
Working With Report Variables
Greetings very helpful folks out there!

I hope I'm posting in the correct Forum this time. If I'm not, please let me know and I'll move ASAP! As you've probably figured out by now, I am a newbie! I am stuck on something that is, I'm sure, very simple.

I am creating a report for which the customer enters @FromDate and @ToDate Report Variables.

I have 2 questions, both involving the use of these Report Variables.

-----------
Question 1:
-----------
I want to create a 'Month' column (set as 'By') as the leftmost column of my report that:
....A. Will start with the month of the @FromDate
....B. End with the month of the @ToDate

Where in the Developer Studio Tool do I specify steps A & B above for my Month column?

-----------
Question 2:
-----------
On my report I want to display a Total column whose calculation logic is as follows:

IF TABLE.VirtualColumn = 1 AND
(TABLE.DateColumn GE @FromDate AND TABLE.DateColumn LE @ToDate)
THEN 1
ELSE 0

Where/how do I insert the Date Comparison logic in the Developer Studio Tool?


Thanks in advance for your help!
Sam


WebFOCUS 7.6.4
Developer Studio on Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2
Output: PDF
March 06, 2008, 09:01 AM
Leah
Sam,

It depends on whether you are selecting data or defining data. Have you reviewed the Developer Studio documents. You also might want to search the on-line help for tips. Without knowing MASTER files and so on, it is difficult to answer what you ask.

Question 1 - you need to use the 'where' assistant and set up your selection as paramaters to generate the prompts for the dates.

Question 2 - look into doing 'defines' as it appears you want a record by record item. Look into a 'compute' if it is withing your sort options.

Do you have a training budget where you are, sounds as if that would help you understand some basic concepts.

Sorry not more helpful here.


Leah
March 06, 2008, 09:22 AM
SamF
Greetings Leah, and thanks for your very fast response!!

I have already created the parms with a Where statement and the prompts are showing up. I built my Where clause in notepad and pasted it in to the Where screen and this all seems to be working fine.

I now need to find out how to reference the parms in the Developer Studio Tool. I tried in the Define screen but they weren't there in the Fields list.

I actually had a training class several months ago and then didn't get to use the tool right away. I've been pouring over the book I got from the class but I can't find the answer to my question. I'm very sorry to be asking such a basic question.

Sincerely,
Sam


WebFOCUS 7.6.4
Developer Studio on Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2
Output: PDF
March 06, 2008, 09:39 AM
Spence
open this in dev studio, this may help you with the amper variables.
DEFINE FILE EMPLOYEE
HIRE_MONTH/A2 = EDIT(HIRE_DATE,'$$99$$');
END
TABLE FILE EMPLOYEE
PRINT EMP_ID
LAST_NAME
HIRE_DATE
BY HIRE_MONTH
WHERE ( HIRE_DATE GE &SDATE.Enter Begin Date yymmdd. ) AND ( HIRE_DATE LT &EDATE.Enter End Date yymmdd. );
END


WF 8 version 8.2.04. Windows.
In focus since 1990.
March 06, 2008, 09:51 AM
SamF
Thank you, Spence, for your reply.

I have the amper variables set up and working. I'm just not sure how to actually make use of them in a Define or Compute statement in Report Painter. They never show up in the Fields Lists.

Thanks again!
Sam


WebFOCUS 7.6.4
Developer Studio on Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2
Output: PDF
March 06, 2008, 09:55 AM
Leah
The variables should be showing up in the Object Inspector under External Variables. In my 7.6.4 version it is on the left side where the fields are also listed.

Is that what you are trying to find?


Leah
March 06, 2008, 09:57 AM
Spence
in expression builder you should see your variables in the Report Variable folder.


WF 8 version 8.2.04. Windows.
In focus since 1990.
March 06, 2008, 10:17 AM
SamF
The variables do show up in Expression Builder, but I don't know how to indicate that the If statement I am building is to be associated with a particular column.


WebFOCUS 7.6.4
Developer Studio on Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2
Output: PDF
March 06, 2008, 10:29 AM
SamF
Spence, you COMPLETELY HELPED ME OUT!!!!! I'm using my Compute statement and specifying Columns, Report Variables AND Table Variables all in the same statement. I can't thank you enough!!! This truly was a newbie question and I apologize for taking up yall's time with it!!

Very sincerely,
Sam


WebFOCUS 7.6.4
Developer Studio on Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2
Output: PDF
March 12, 2008, 09:36 AM
SamF
A quick followup... Every time I tried to select the amper variables from the Fields List in the Report Painter Define screen, I'd hear the error sound and nothing would happen. I ended up having to go into the text editor and create From and To variables which I set equal to the From and To amper variables. I was then able to use the newly created variables in further Defines. It was a very educational exercise! Thanks again for helping me! Sam


WebFOCUS 7.6.4
Developer Studio on Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 2
Output: PDF