Creating a Parameter

To create a new report parameter

1. Click the New button on the toolbar of the Catalog of Available Fields dialog. The Add Parameter Field dialog, shown in the following image, is then displayed.

   

2. In the Name text box, enter the name of your parameter. The name can be up to 30 characters in length. You cannot use an existing parameter name.

3. Select the Primitive option button to specify that the parameter type that you require is a primitive type.

4. Select the Type from View option button to specify that the parameter type that you require is an object of a type specified in your reporting view. The Details group box is disabled for object type parameters.

5. In the Type list box, select the type of field that you require. Select a primitive type (for example, Decimal, Binary, Boolean, String) for primitive type parameters or an object defined in your reporting view for object parameters.

   To enable the specification of object parameter values when printing or extracting your report, additional JADE methods must be reimplemented in your user schema. For details, see "Object Parameters", in Chapter 1.

6. In the Length text box, enter the length of your field if you selected Binary, Decimal, or String in the Type list box.

   Decimal parameters can have a maximum length of 23. The maximum integer portion (whole number) length for a Decimal parameter is 12. For other primitive types, this text box is disabled.

7. In the Decimals text box, enter the number of decimal places if you selected Decimal in the Type list box. The maximum number of decimal places is 15. For other primitive types, this text box is disabled.

8. Check the User value must be entered check box to specify that a parameter is not optional and that a value must be entered. If a parameter value is not entered on the Parameters sheet of the Report Properties dialog, or on the Report Parameters dialog, the message "Parameter Value must be entered for <parameter name>" is then displayed.

   If the ignore option is set for parameter on the Parameters sheet of the Report Properties form or on the Extract Data form, it overrides the User value must be entered option, and the message is not displayed

   When reports are run from the user system, the JadeReportWriterReport class getExtraParameterDetails method can be called to return the value of the User value must be entered option for a specified parameter name. This can be used to enforce entry of a value for the parameter. For more details about the getExtraParameterDetails method, see Chapter 1 of the JADE Encyclopaedia of Classes, Volume 1.

9. In the User prompt text box, enter an alternative name for the parameter. This is used as an alternative to the parameter name as a prompt for the parameter value.

10. Click the Apply button to complete the creation of the parameter. Alternatively, click the Close button without clicking the Apply button to abandon your entries.

The new parameter is then added to the list of parameters on the Param sheet of the Catalog of Available Fields dialog.