We have several users with Busobj Reader installed rather than the full business objects. Many of the reports developed for these people to run have “In List” user prompts. We have noticed very inconsistent results when the user enters more than one item in the list (each entry separated by semi-colon). Many times the results only contain data for the first value in the prompt. Has anyone else determined this to be a problem?
In a message dated 98-07-14 13:59:29 EDT, you write:
We have noticed very inconsistent results when the user enters more than one item in the list (each entry separated by semi-colon). Many times the results only contain data for the first value in the prompt. Has anyone else determined this to be a problem?
Chad Copley
Chad:
BusinessObjects is not consistent with the way it handles the “In List” operator. This subject has come up on the mailing list before. On the query panel you need to use comma’s to separate items, in a prompt box you are supposed to use semi-colons. Since you mentioned using semi-colons in a prompt, I am assuming this is not your issue.
You also cannot embed spaces with the list items, much as users would like to. In other words, this will work:
ITEM A;ITEM B;ITEM C
… and this will not work:
ITEM A; ITEM B; ITEM C
The second is easier to read for users, but to BusinessObjects the SQL for the in list is built as:
In (‘ITEM A’, ’ ITEM B’, ’ ITEM C’)
… rather than …
In (‘ITEM A’, ‘ITEM B’, ‘ITEM C’)
In case it is not obvious what the difference is (proportional fonts drive me crazy in email) there is an extra space in front of the word ‘ITEM’ for the B and C entries. That is generally the problem when the first list item works, and the rest do not.
Regards,
Dave Rathbun
Integra Solutions www.islink.com See you in Orlando in '98!
In a message dated 98-07-14 13:59:29 EDT, you write:
We have noticed very inconsistent results when the user enters more than one item in the list (each entry separated by semi-colon). Many times the results only contain data for the first value in the prompt. Has anyone else determined this to be a problem?
Chad Copley
Chad:
BusinessObjects is not consistent with the way it handles the “In List” operator. This subject has come up on the mailing list before. On the query panel you need to use comma’s to separate items, in a prompt box you are supposed to use semi-colons. Since you mentioned using semi-colons in a prompt, I am assuming this is not your issue.
I thought , it depends on the country settings (for the list-separator) in the control panel?
Walter.
DI Walter Muellner
Delphi Software GmbH, Vivenotgasse 48, A-1120 Vienna / Austria Tel: +43-1-8151456-12, Fax: +43-1-8151456-21 e-mail: w.muellner@delphi.at, WEB: http://www.delphi.at
In a message dated 98-07-15 03:34:40 EDT, you write:
BusinessObjects is not consistent with the way it handles the “In List”
operator. This subject has come up on the mailing list before. On the
query
panel you need to use comma’s to separate items, in a prompt box you are supposed to use semi-colons. Since you mentioned using semi-colons in a prompt, I am assuming this is not your issue.
I thought , it depends on the country settings (for the list-separator) in the
control panel?
Walter.
Yes, it is. At least on the Query panel. But - last time I checked - no matter what the country setting was you were still required to use the semi-colon when responding to a query prompt. The country setting for list separator default for the US is the comma, but the comma is NOT used as the separator when responding to a prompt box. There the semi-colon is always used. Makes for confused users!
This is true as of 4.1.1, the latest version of BusObj that I have installed.
Be aware that if you are using an @Prompt you need to make sure that there is a LOV associated to the @Prompt.
If you decline placing a LOV in the @prompt, you may have parsing issues. Don’t be tempted to correct the parsing problem by adding and extra comma. This will offset the (multi/mono, free/constrained) and make them the default (mono, free). Instead use a pair of quotes to get this to parse and your query should get results when using a manually entered LOV.
For responses to an @Prompt, the values should be entered in with SemiColons as a separator. You should only use the comma if you are actually typing an INLIST (from the query panel). The use of a comma versus semicolon for the INLIST can be modified by changing the regional settings.