Permit a null date parameter

[mikedinnis]

Hello,

I'm converting a number (1,000+) CR9 reports for use in BOXI 3.1 and have run into a problem with some of them. The problematic ones all have static parameters that historically have also been able to accept a null value. Typically these are date parameters and simply clearing the default parameter value in BOXI means that the user is prompted for a value when viewing the report. The design of the report has a formulae field set up that takes the value of the parameter and if it is null then it uses the current date.

I would like to maintain this option for the end users to enable them to, by default, use todays date but I don't know how to send a null from BOXI 3.1 to Crystal Reports.

I've seen SAP Note 1337660, but this seems to relate to passing a null to a record selection formulae and I suspect that it won't work for date parameters anyway.

The only solution I can think of is to amend the reports so that rather than looking for a null value they look for a 'magic' date (probably some time in the past) and if that value is passed then they actually use todays date as per the current formulae. I could then put this 'magic' date into the default value of the parameter and hence BOXI so that the user doesn't have to remember this 'magic' date. Two things that I don't like about this possible solution are that I'm going to have to amend a lot of reports and secondly I don't like the idea of 'magic' numbers as they quickly lose their meaning.

Can anyone suggest a way that BOXI might be able to pass null values to a Crystal Reports static date parameter, or another more sensible way I can resolve this issue?

Thanks,

Mike

[mikedinnis]

It looks like there is no known comparison in BOXI 3.1 with CE9 when considering this issue. In the end i've had to go back and edit the troublesome reports. Rather than use the magic date option (still don't like it!) i've changed the date parameter to be an 'Optional prompt'. This means that the user doesn't have to supply a value when viewing/scheduling the report. It also means that I have to amend any orhter formulae that might use the parameter to use the HasValue() test, but it does allow the users to continue to work as they have always done so.

Not a great solution from my perspective (lots of reports to amend), but i guess it's better in the long run.

Mike