Related parameters

[Former Member]

Hello everyone!!!!

Can anybody help me??

I have a list of numbers and related contracts(the number-contract couple is unique)  in excel sheet(the list is not constant, it's changing according to  the case) and an sql select, which brings the different data about the specific number-contract couple.  Is it possible to create a parameter and enter (copy-paste) or import from excel the number-contract couple's values during the executing of the report? And how to do it?

[abhilash_kumar]

Hi Ella,

Since the numbers keep changing, you'd need to create a dynamic cascading prompt.

Only static prompts allow importing values however, the values can't be changed.

-Abhilash

[Former Member]

Thank you for your reply.

So i should create a dynamic parameter and choose the data source . but it is not the thing I want. I would like the parameters to be entered by users during the report execution (press the button , select the excel file, then press   ok and 'voilà'  the report is ready for every number-contract couple)

[abhilash_kumar]

CR cannot do what you're looking for.

The users will be presented with a list (sourced from a SQL query) which they can select from.

-Abhilash

[Former Member]

that's a pitty

I thought  if the user is able to enter the single value manually, so it will be possible to import values from the xls, or txt file and just need to find some method to bind the values to each other.

[abhilash_kumar]

While you can import values from a txt file, you cannot do that 'at runtime'.

You'll need to do this while you 'create' the report. The list will remain static and new updates to the text file are not carried over to the list of values.

-Abhilash

[Former Member]

Thank you very much!!!!

But is there any other ideas how can I manage the situation?

[abhilash_kumar]

Yes, you can create a dynamic prompt.

-Abhilash

[Former Member]

create a dynamic prompt and what to do next?

[abhilash_kumar]

Create a dynamic prompt and let the users select a value or values from the list.

The report would then run for the values selected (after you use this prompt in the where clause/selection formula).

-Abhilash

[DellSC]

Another option would be to use the Excel spreadsheet as an additional data source inside the report.  You could then use an inner join from your database data to the spreadsheet data to filter the data in the report so that it will display only the data that's in the spreadsheet.

There are a couple of challenges with this method, though.

1.  The name and location of the spreadsheet are set at design-time.  They can't be changed at run time.

2.  This type of join between to separate data sources will slow down report processing because Crystal is unable to push the join to the database.  Instead, it will pull in all of the records from the database and then join them to the data from the spreadsheet in memory. This can be a problem if there are lots of rows of data in the database.

-Dell