Linking Parameters

To design a report, multiple parameter values are required as the value displayed for a one parameter depends on the value specified for another parameter.

For example, the parameter ‘States’ depends on the parameter ‘Countries’. When you select a value for the parameter ‘Countries’, the values for the parameter ‘States’ auto-populate. This makes it easy for the report designer to select the parameter and its linked parameters.

The preset parameters are displayed at run time on the Input Parameter Form (IPF). For example, ‘Countries’ and ‘States’. If you select India as a Country, then the state parameter displays all the states that belong to India.

At runtime, you can select both values and the combination selected will have only the states belonging the country you specified. You can link a parameter with a SQL combo type parameter.

Follow the below steps to get filtered list by Linking parameters

1. Select the Link checkbox.

2. Click  under Select Source Parameter(s) to select parameters from the list of available ones.

3. Check the parameters to be linked (parent parameter) with the parameter being created (dependent parameter).

4. Under the SQL being created for Dropdown Source, specify name of the parameters being linked enclosed by <% and %>.

For example, to get list of cities belonging to a state selected in another parameter (Prm_Link2), specify the below SQL in under Dynamic Source Statement:

Select distinct city from Country where state in<%Prm_Link2%>

Figure 20: Linked Parameters

At run time, Input Parameter Form will appear having these two parameters. User will specify value for state, which will be used in the SQL to fetch values (for example city) for this parameter.  This Dropdown will have only the cities belonging to the selected state.

The below screen shows an example of how the linked parameters would appear upon running the report.

Figure 21: Linked Parameters on IPF