Hi -

Our report writers wish to include a dynamic prompt for a data filter, so that the multiselect displays all the possible values (from the data) for the user to select.

However, if there are values that are repeated, they are showing up multiple times in the listing, which seems less than ideal! This feature doesn't seem useful unless this is possible... any ideas for accomplishing this?

Also, in general we do NOT wish to use HTML launch pages, since our report writers operate in InfoAssist only, and distribute their reports using a Portal.

Thanks,

Tyler Schwartz

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Kathryn Henning>,

Tyler,

In 8.0.08 there was a bad file that caused the same thing to happen for me when using dynamic prompting. There is a file that needs the be updated to resolve that issue. I don't have the file name in front of me, but probably best thing to do is open a case with ibi. They can provide you with the file that needs to be updated. I don't have my case information in front of me right now. But if you open a case and they are having trouble identifying the issue, private message me and I will give you the case number for them to look up.

InfoAssist is not my bag (as we used to say in the 60's) but what you need to do one way or another is substitute SUM for PRINT in the code that generates your multiselect. There has to be a way to do that in InfoAssist quite easily - it's practically mandatory.

If you think that is already coded though, and you still see multiple instances of the same value, the chances are that you are dealing with a data input error where someone has added an extra invisible space at the end of a code

I see that Eric has just come up with a much more plausible solution ...

Hey george,

There actually isn't a way do this in info assist. If you look up prompts in the help file (Im posting on my phone, so I can't look it up till monday), youll find that the code allows for a display and a value just like you can in the html composer. Or more acurately, like you used to be able to in report assistant. Info assist on the other hand will reject that code and error out. Making you unable to reopen your report if you make the adjustment in the text editor. I'm not sure of what the exact difference in code between the two files (8.0.08 vs the later version in which it is corrected), but if I were to venture a guess, I'm assuming somewhere in the early versions of 8.x they changed the file where it only translates a group by if you have both a display and value. in 7.7x I'm also assuming they used a distinct operator or group by when translating the sql.

This has been resolved in the more recent versions of WF, but I am unsure in which version this was actually resolved in.

Erc - your phone appears to be in a different time zone than your computer ... either that or you are travelling backwards in time !

George,

Nope no time zone change (Both posts from my phone). Just one post in the AM and the other in the PM .

Although, the proxy at the office here goes through MST and I am in CST.

BTW,

you probably already know this, but just for the sake of completeness. The syntax for creating a list of values in auto prompting is:

cmd &var.(FIND return_fieldname [,display_fieldname] IN datasource).[description.]
  

When InfoAssist writes the code for the FIND function, it omits the display fieldname. In 7.7.03 it will still return a unique list of values (Through using distinct/group by or however the code is designed to work), but in 8.0.08 it provides all of the values. Again I don't know what version this was resolved in, but IBI will be able to tell you.

Using the text editor or Developer studio, you can get around this issue by adding [,display_fieldname]. Then everything will work as expected. Unfortunately InfoAssist does not recognize the syntax and will error out if you try to open it again in InfoAssist.

Just wondering if someone has tried to create a hold file with distinct values (for the filter), and joined to the parent table (that has the field with duplicates). Then use the field/values from the "hold" file for the dropdown box. Thanks

Luiz