Walkthrough: Embedding a Parameter Sheet in a Report

In the example that follows, you will create an embedded parameter sheet that prompts the user for a list of products. First, you will need to create a new report that uses parameter prompting. Follow the steps below:

1. Click the 'New' button in the Style Studio toolbar. This opens the 'New Asset' dialog box.

2. In the left panel, select the 'Report' node. In the right 'Types' panel, select 'Blank Tabular Report' and click 'OK'. This creates a new report.

3. Expand the Style Studio Toolbox panel.

4. Click the 'Table' button in the Toolbox panel to open the 'Data Binding' dialog box for a new table.

5. Under the Data tab, bind the table to 'Order Details' query from the 'Orders' data source.

6. In the Condition tab, specify the following parameterized condition.

[Product][is][one of][$(products)]

To enter the parameter name 'products' on the right side of the statement, select the 'Variable' option from the pop-up menu on the right side of the condition, and type “products” into the 'Name' field. (See Filtering Data in Data Binding Wizard for more details on specifying conditions.)

 

7. Enable the 'Use Selection List' option. (This provides a selection list when default prompting is used.)

8. Click 'Append' to add the condition to the table.

9. In the Grouping & Summary tab, drag the 'Product' field to the 'Grouping' panel. Drag the 'Total' field to the 'Summary' panel.

 

10. In the Table Options tab, enable the 'Show Summary Only' option.

 

11. Press 'Finish' to close the Wizard and create the table.

12. Press the 'Save' button on the toolbar and select the Repository Report tab. Save the report under the name “Parameter Sheet Report”.

13. Press the 'Preview' button on the toolbar to preview the report. Observe that the report prompts the user to enter a value for the 'products' parameter using the default parameter prompting mechanism.

 

14. Select a set of products, and press 'OK'. The generated report contains a table that lists only the selected products.

 

You have created a report that uses the default parameter prompting mechanism to obtain a value for the “products” parameter. You will now add a custom parameter sheet to the report. This parameter sheet will replace the default prompting mechanism.

15. Expand the Style Studio Asset panel.

16. Expand the 'Report' node on the tree. Right-click on the 'Parameter Sheet' option, and select 'New Embedded Parameter Sheet'.

 

17. This opens a new embedded parameter sheet for editing.

 

18. Drag a Text component from the Toolbox panel to the parameter sheet. Enter the text “Select products:”. This will be the input label.

19. Drag a Parameter component from the Toolbox panel into the parameter sheet. This will be product input list.

20. Drag a Button component from the Toolbox panel to the parameter sheet. This will be the Submit button.

21. Position the elements as shown. Make the Parameter element taller by selecting it and dragging its bottom border downward.

 

22. To configure the Parameter element to control the “products” parameter, follow these steps:

a. Right-click the Parameter component, and select 'Properties' from the context menu. This opens the 'Parameter Properties' dialog box.

a. Press the 'Browse Report Parameters' button, and select the “products” parameter. This will allow the Parameter component to set the value of the 'products' parameter.

 

b. In the 'Label' field enter “Products”.

c. In the 'Tooltip' field enter text to display when the user hovers the mouse over the input control. For example, type “Select product name.”

d. In the 'Selection List' panel, select 'Query' and click the 'Select' button. This opens the 'Selection List' dialog box.

 

e. In the bottom Data tab, select 'Order Model' from the 'Orders' data source.

 

f. In the bottom Columns tab, select 'Product.Name'. This field will provide both the labels and values for the Parameter input control.

 

g. Press 'OK' to close the 'Selection List' dialog box.

h. In the 'Display Style' panel, select the 'List' option.

 

i. Press 'OK' to exit the 'Parameter Properties' dialog box and return to the parameter sheet.

10. Press the 'Save' button in the toolbar to save the embedded parameter sheet. (The parameter sheet is saved together with the report.)

11. Close the parameter sheet.

12. Verify that the parameter sheet is now functional:

a. Press the 'Preview' button in the report toolbar to preview the report. The report should prompt you for the 'products' parameter using the parameter sheet you just created.

b. Select the first three products and click 'Submit'.

 

The report is now filtered based on your input.

 

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