Re: How to generate an array with user parameter form?

Sorry I was not clear in my posts. Martin's example is perfect.

Daniel, are you suggesting to use a form to call the report with a procedure (on the form) to load a temp table with selections. Then create a string combining the records in the table and pass that string as a parameter to the report. Where a procedure will parse it into a where clause.

Is it a bad idea to load a temp table from a form then read that table in the report and create the where clause from it?

As you can tell I have little experience with the tools

thanks for your help
Mark

Daniel Morgan <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message news:<3DC2F2C4.F156F6BC_at_exesolutions.com>...
> Martin Doherty wrote:
>
> > I think I understood the original question clearly enough. Mark just
> > forgot to employ the amazing power of a good example to illustrate his
> > problem.
> >
> > I believe the sort of parameter he means is where the user is allowed to
> > select N distinct and discontiguous values from a list of available
> > values e.g. from a list of car models
> > [ ] Chrysler
> > [ ] Dodge
> > [ ] Buick
> > [ ] Toyota
> > [ ] Nissan
> >
> > the user can select Buick and Nissan only, then receive a report about
> > just the requested models. The difficulty is that the user may choose
> > any number of data points, from 0 to the whole list, which doesn't fit
> > nicely into the traditional user parameter form that has
> > parameter1 = value1
> > parameter2 = value2
> > parameter3 = value3
> > etc.
> > and providing a fixed list of parameters will always impact flexibility
> > e.g. provide 10 parameters, each one based on the same list, and allow
> > the user to select up to 10 separate values - not much good for the user
> > who needs data on 11 cars (has to run the report twice and combine the
> > results somehow).
> >
> > Thus the question about generating an array to hold N values. Oracle
> > Discoverer has always been able to handle this type of parameter
> > beautifully. Speaking from a Forms 4.5/Reports 2.5 perspective, this
> > wasn't supported in the report parameter form and would have needed a
> > form module and a table to support the requirement. Anyone know if the
> > situation has changed in newer versions?
> >
> > Martin Doherty
> >
> > Daniel Morgan wrote:
> >
> > >Mark Burns wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >>Daniel Morgan <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message news:<3DC04303.796BC503_at_exesolutions.com>...
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>Mark Burns wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>I have a system where the user will select a (unknown #) of values for
> > >>>>a specific field and then I want to base my report's select statement
> > >>>>on the values the user has choosen (I assume that I would use lexical
> > >>>>references.) But with the user parameter form I can only select a
> > >>>>single value for each item. Is there any way to select multiple
> > >>>>values?
> > >>>>
> > >>>>Another way I was going at this is through forms, but using the
> > >>>>parameter_lists does not seem to be able to handle an array of values
> > >>>>for a single parameter.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>any ideas??
> > >>>>
> > >>>>Mark Burns
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>Two fields and use BETWEEN in the WHERE clause
> > >>>
> > >>>Daniel Morgan
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>I didn't specify the problem in enough detail. The lists that the user
> > >>selects from do not have sequential values. The user will be choosing
> > >>from lists of models, so the between is meaningless in this context.
> > >>
> > >>Mark
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >If your original posting was lacking in clarity ... it didn't seem to be ... your clarification is so
> > >obscure I can't even pretend to understand what you are trying to do.
> > >
> > >I would be happy to help you ... but your attempted clarification is undecipherable.
> > >
> > >Daniel Morgan
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
> Then one solution is native dynamic SQL executed in the back-end as part of a package loading a table
> connected to the form.
>
> Pass back the parameters as a string, parse in a loop, and build a WHERE clause on the fly.
>
> Daniel Morgan
Received on Mon Nov 04 2002 - 19:52:55 CET