Active Report - Variable Text Item

[donut]

Hi Cognos senpais,

I have two questions related to "Variable text item"

1. Data Format for Variable Text Item

I have added a date drop down in an active report, then I used "Variable Text Item" to display the date being selected. Well it works but it shows the full date time (with hours minutes and secs) which is not preferred.

In this object properties, the "data format" option only shows Number, Currency and Percentage, nothing else that I can change the format of this variable text item i.e., to YYYY/MM/DD

I have also made sure that the data source (data module) the usage and representation is properly defined. What are the alternatives if data formatting doesn't work?


2. Is it possible to extract value of active report variable, i.e., using function
FYI The date drop down that is mentioned above is used to select the "current date". I have a visual requirement to show amount of current date vs previous day vs previous month. My query is "ready" to calculate the date of previous day and previous month but I got to be able to use the date user has selected. I kind of understand that the selection process is on-the-fly hence it may be impossible to pass the value selected into the query to be reprocessed again. (let me know if my thoughts are completely irrelevant)

p.s. I do have some other checkbox selections that requires interactivity with visuals where standard report is not able to achieve. I was thinking about using ?parameter? for the date selection but it will confuse the end user as in why do we have date selection set up using parameter while others are via active report objects.

[donut]

For the date display, I have managed to cast the source data item to a format that is desired and use it in the active report control

[MFGF]

Hi Cognos senpais,

I have two questions related to "Variable text item"

1. Data Format for Variable Text Item

I have added a date drop down in an active report, then I used "Variable Text Item" to display the date being selected. Well it works but it shows the full date time (with hours minutes and secs) which is not preferred.

In this object properties, the "data format" option only shows Number, Currency and Percentage, nothing else that I can change the format of this variable text item i.e., to YYYY/MM/DD

I have also made sure that the data source (data module) the usage and representation is properly defined. What are the alternatives if data formatting doesn't work?


2. Is it possible to extract value of active report variable, i.e., using function
FYI The date drop down that is mentioned above is used to select the "current date". I have a visual requirement to show amount of current date vs previous day vs previous month. My query is "ready" to calculate the date of previous day and previous month but I got to be able to use the date user has selected. I kind of understand that the selection process is on-the-fly hence it may be impossible to pass the value selected into the query to be reprocessed again. (let me know if my thoughts are completely irrelevant)

p.s. I do have some other checkbox selections that requires interactivity with visuals where standard report is not able to achieve. I was thinking about using ?parameter? for the date selection but it will confuse the end user as in why do we have date selection set up using parameter while others are via active report objects.

Hi,

This isn't the way things work, unfortunately. In an Active Report, the report output is created at runtime, when the report is executed (including running the query or queries at that point), and from then on, users are interacting with the previously generated report output - filtering/selecting etc for display from the pre-existing static data set contained in the report output. You have no option to fire a query - one of the key selling points for an Active Report is that it will allow interaction in a totally disconnected environment.

Cheers!

MF.