Business Objects Training

May 2008 e-newsletter

Prompt properties in web intelligence XI release 2
You can limit data in your reports by using a prompt. A prompt allows for dynamic reporting because you or your users can change the values used to limit the data. For example, today you may want to see sales in Dallas and Seattle but tomorrow you might want to see sales in New York and San Francisco. By using a prompt, all you have to do is change the prompt values by refreshing the data – no query modifications are required. You can also set default values and allow your users to choose from a list of values.

Let’s create a prompt to limit our data to a particular city. To create the prompt, drag the city object into the Query Filters panel and change the operand to a prompt.

Once you have set the operand to prompt, BusinessObjects will create a default prompt message as shown below:

You will also notice that an additional button is included in the prompt.

This is the Prompt Properties button. Click to view the prompt properties:

The available options are:
Prompt text:  You can customize the text that will be displayed for the prompt if you do not want to keep the default message.  For example, if your prompt is for a date, you may want to include the required date format such as "Enter beginning date (mm/dd/yyyy)".

Prompt with List of Values:  If this option is selected, a unique list of values for the object will be available and the user can select from the list.

Select only from list:  If this option is selected, the users will have to choose from the list.  They will not be able to type in a value.

Keep last value(s) selected:  If this option is selected, the values used the last time the report was run will be used.

Set default value(s):  If this option is selected, a list of values will be displayed so that you can set the default values.

NOTE:  If you have both Keep last value(s) selected and Set default value(s) selected, the values last used will override any default values.

Once you have set the prompt properties, click OK.

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