How to pass excel as an input file to a value prompt in report studio

[learnbi]

Hi ,
There is this requirement where in we need to pass an excel file containing item_codes captured by a set of users. These item_codes are present in the database as well.But different users across different regions  want to pass these item codes from the excel sheet to a value prompt in the report studio.Can this be done using Javascript ?? If so please help!!!

All we know is we have to pull two HTML tag s (one to start the script to read the values from excel file and the other one to end the script containing Javascript) and pull a value prompt which will take the excel file as an input to the prompt page.

Thanks for ur help in advance

[navissar]

Hi,
The sort of functionality you're describing can be achieved in different ways (Including through the use of Javascript but it is very complex since you'll have to parse the Excel sheet). You could, for instance, use Cognos' ability to upload Excel files to the model.
Nonetheless, this is the type of requirement that gets me wondering why, and if there isn't a better, automated way to reach the same result.
Suppose you have 200 values in your database. I'm assuming the only two motivations for using an external Excel is 1. If users have values which do not appear in the database in their sheets, or 2. If users want the value prompt to include less than 200 values.
The first reason won't do much good - if it isn't in the database, you can't filter by it. So we're left with the second. Now, there are many ways to pre-filter the data in a query (And thus in a prompt) depending on user/user group/time of day and so on. If there's some logic in it, you can probably create that logic in the prompt. And if there isn't....Well, it is a prompt, isn't it? Users don't HAVE to choose what they do not want to see...

[learnbi]

Thanks Nimrod! That was helpful.

[rajurokz]

Hi Learnbi,

I have a similar requirement as yours, could you pls help me how to assign an excel to a value prompt with the Javascript.

thanks
Rajurokz!