How to keep input cells persistent?

Ralf Zerfass

I have a report with free (unprotected) cells in which the user can enter values.

By pressing a button an action is invoked to transfer the entered values into report variables and these variables are used in a SQL-statement of a hyperblock in the report.

This way the user can query some tables in the relational database easily. Works fine!

But every time the button is pressed (with writeback function in WebServices) the cells are cleared.

As there are six of these cells to enter values the user has to re-enter all values again when starting a new search.

I’m looking for a way, to keep the entered values in the cells when the button is pressed or even better, to populate the cells with the values from the last search when opening the report at first time.

So making the entered values persistent.

One solution I found is to have a cube with dimensions Username and CellName and have CELLGET-functions in the cells so that every input is actually written in the cube and becomes permanent.

What I don’t like is, that the dimension Username has to be kept up2date (either manually or with an Importmaster-Job) when new users are created and – more important – this way a contributer-license is needed because the user writes back values.

In V11 I could use reports scripts to populate the cells, but as in V12 reports scripts are no longer supported this is a no-go for this alternative.

Using Listviews with persistent variables instead of input cells is also not possible as the search function in the SQL uses free text fields as well (e.g. …WHERE Description like ‘%”&ReportVariable.r_descriptionsearch.text&”%’).

 

Although I’m working with AppStudio 10+ years, I’m discovering and learning almost every day new features of this great tool.

Has anybody experienced the same challenge and found a good solution for this that is working in V11 and V12?

 

Thanks,

Ralf

 

 

 

Sylvana Neydek

Hi Ralf.

I have an idea that may help:

1. Use unprotected cells to enter the values and show the ReportVariables in these cells (screenshot 1).
2. Add an action to the cell that updates the variables when the cell is edited (screenshot 2)

This would mean, that maybe your hyperblock changes with each entering of values into a cell. I don't know if this is okay according to performance. If not, I often use a seperate dialog field to set variables and process them when closing the dialog field. Or use the "Save" button to transfer the values from the "temporary" report variables into the report variables used in the hyperblock.

The advantage is that each user keeps her / his last settings.

 

Have a nice day.

Sylvana

Screenshot 1.png

Screenshot 2.png