MS Access: Passing Parameter to Subreport w/o SQL - ms-access

I'm trying to find a way to pass a parameter from a report to a subreport without resorting to any SQL code or macros (my officemates are non-technical, but still have to use the Access database to run reports, occasionally making tweaks to them.)
I'm working in Microsoft Access 2013. I have a table that contains a list of investments as well as which state those investments are based in. I have a query that pulls data on Investments based on a user-entered State parameter. I then run two reports: one that simply lists the investments grouped on different categories, then a second report that summarizes the investment categories into a table. I've put the summary report at the top of the detailed report as a subreport, but I want to pass the State parameter through from the main report to the subreport so the user doesn't have to enter it twice. Is that possible without resorting to writing any SQL code or macros?
Thanks!

I think I understand what you're trying to do, but please add details if my answer doesn't make sense.
You can pass user entered information by referencing by
[DatabaseObjectType]![ObjectName]![FieldName].
If the user is entering the State value from a Form, you'd reference:
[Forms]![FormName]![State]
where FormName is the name of your form, and State is actually the name of the Form control containing the State value.
If the user is entering the State value in a prompt from a query, you'd reference:
[Queries]![Query1]![State]
where Query1 is the name of your initial query that gets the state info from the user, and 'State' is the name of that field.
You put these references in to your secondary query or report:
for example, in a second query, you can set the State field Criteria (in query design view) to be = [Queries]![Query1]![State]
so the second query will pull the State value from the first query
on a report, similar idea - you can set the Control Source of the State control (in Properties) to be = [Queries]![Query1]![State]

Related

Generate 1 report based on multiple executions of stored procedure (passing different parameters to same procedure)

I have a SSRS report that takes a parameter and executes a stored procedure to generate a report with it.
the parameter is a values from a table that I have user select from a dropdown
let's say 15 options that are passed as parameters to each execution.
AAAA
AAAB
AAAC
...etc
is there any way I can setup the report so it will execute with each parameter and generate a report?
the issue is that now the user has to manually select 1st parameter, generate the report and then export the file result to excel.
what I want to do is a way for the user to select multiple parameters and export just one file containing all of them (the stored procedure can't take more parameters because of the way is coded depends on receiving one parameter only)
so it would have to schedule multiple executions of the stored procedure to create the report and then export this. is this possible? (as a note, the amount of parameters will change frequently so I need to give the option of selecting multiples from a list that is populated from a query to database)
and to clarify, the Stored Procedure needs to take only one parameter, this is not to be solved by sending multiple parameters to operate by using a splitter or similar, as the parameter received by the SP is used in calculations depending of order, (to not go into detail with the SP, just need to take one parameter per execution)
As you already have a report that handles a single option then you can do this easily using sub reports. Don't worry about the length of this answer it actually quite simple.
I would make a copy of the existing report to be safe....
Change the existing report to only accept a single parameter value if if doesn't already. Save this report, this will be your sub-report so let's say it's called mySubReport
Next create a new blank report.
Add a dataset (called say dsParameterList) that will give you the list of options you want the user to choose from (I guess this will be the same as your current report?). For example if it was a list of companies it might look something like SELECT CompanyID, CompanyName FROM myCompanyTable
Next add a parameter called say #options, make sure it is set to be multi-value and set the available values to use a query and point this to dsParameterList. Set the value and label fields as required.
Now create another dataset called dsLoop for example. This dataset will contain a list of selected parameter values. Using the company example from earlier the dataset query might look something like this. SELECT CompanyID, CompanyName FROM myCompanyTable WHERE CompanyID IN (#options)
Next add a table to your report and remove columns so that only 1 remains. Set the dataset property of the table/tablix to dsLoop. This means we will generate 1 row for every selected parameter value.
In the detail row right click in remaining textbox and choose 'Insert Subreport'. Now right-click the subreport placeholder and set the properties to point to the report we saved earlier (mySubReport in this example).
Whilst still in the sub report properties, click the parameters tab and add a new entry, choose the parameter in the left column and set the value in the right column to be the value from dsLoop that you want to pass to the subreport. In our company example this would probably be [CompanyID]
That's it. You run the report and choose from the parameter list, when you click View Report the dsLoop query runs and gives us a list of just those selected Companies, the report body is generated with a row for every row in the dsLoop dataset which in turn runs the subreport with a different parameter passed in each time.
Optionally You can right-click the rowgroup under the main design window and set the 'pagename' property to a value. In the Company example this might be =Fields!CompanyName.Value. When the report is exported to Excel each sheet in the workbook will be named with the name of Company

Use List Box with Multiple Selection in Query

Given I've created an Access Form with a ListBox; property > other > Multi Select = Extended; which permits multiple selections.
User selects multiple items.
Clicks a button that creates a report in "Print Preview"; but this report is based on the query, and the query is based on the values in the form.
This is accomplished by using this in the query when viewing in Access Query Design View (not SQL):
Like ([forms]![padc]![V2])
Where the form name is padc and the value to compare is V2.
Previously, rather than the ListBox that might show 10 options, V2 was just a field with one value. A user would either type a partial value, such as jack*, and the report would pull every instance where this value began with jack; whether that was jack, or jackie, or jacko, or jackson, etc. The LIKE part of this permitted the "fuzzy" logic bringing about varied results. The query would run, and the report would show all the records with anything starting with jack.
My goal, really, is to have a user select one, two or three, or all the available options in this box, and have the report respond correctly.
I believe the ListBox will let me do this, provided I have all the right names in the table that is the source of the options available to choose from.
I set the listbox to "multi-select" to enable multiple selections on the form.
The form is happy. It can let me click/highlight one or several items from the list.
The query is not happy.
For the field V2, neither
Like ([forms]![padc]![V2])
nor
=([forms]![padc]![V2])
Will retrieve records to populate the report; regardless of whether or not just one value in ListBox is selected or multiple values. (Like = fuzzy, and = means exact match.)
Neither work.
Of course, if the query won't perform, then the report won't perform either.
How can I write the correct query in Access, using "Query View = Design View" and or SQL to get this to function properly?
If the answer is "it can't be done without using VBA" then please point me to the VBA solution that a 5-yr old can understand, because I have zero experience using VBA.
Folks have recommended I use VBA; specifically that I should incorporate the "IN() IN function" in some manner; but I don't comprehend this solution at all.
I admit to being ignorant; not stupid; but ignorant.

Access 2016 drop-down list appearing in Reports and Queries

In Access 2016 I have a table called 'Orders'.
I also have a Form (also called 'Orders') that we use to enter order information. On the form, one field in particular ('Company') is a drop-down list. The control source is a second table called 'Companies'. And the Row Source is a SQL Query:
SELECT [Companies].[ID], [Companies].[CompanyName] FROM Companies ORDER BY [CompanyName];
So, when the user is entering an order into the Form, he/she can select the company name from this drop-down list and it in turn updates the Orders table. All basic stuff, and it works fine.
Next, I created a query (also called 'Orders') and it is based off of the Orders table.
When I run the query in Access and view it as a Datasheet, I was surprised to notice that the Company field (IN THE QUERY datasheet) is a drop-down list. Not only that, it even lets me change the value - right here in the query! If I view the SQL for this query, I can see that it is a SELECT query. In my mind, a SELECT query is read only. So my questions are - What's a drop-down list doing in a Query, and WHY does Access let me edit the values directly in the query? Isn't this supposed to be read only?
Next question:
After verifying that all of the data I need is in the Orders query, I then created a report (called 'All Orders') and the control source for this report is the Orders query. (not the table).
When I view the Report in Design view, there's the drop-down list again. Why? I am just looking to add the Company name that the user selected when they completed the form. I realize that the form Control for entering that data (on the FORM) is a drop-down list. But here I am building a report and I just want the VALUE to appear here. Not the drop down control? (I know that when I print the report or view it on the screen, the drop-down boxes go away and all I see is the actual text). But my question is - WHY is Access showing me a drop-down list control on a report? and in a select query? The query and the report are no place for editing data. I just want the value that was selected.
That's because you've defined the lookup list in the table. If you do so, it propagates to queries and new reports and forms, and will be the default way to view the data everywhere you've placed it.
Open your table in design view, and change the display control for your field back to text box. Note that any forms and reports will need to be edited or recreated, for queries the change should propagate.

Filter SSRS report to current user

This seems to be a common issue, but I could find no solution which worked.
I have an SSRS report which shows employee Vacation balances.
I want to make a linked report which will only display information for the current user.
The built in field User!UserID, returns the Login of the User, however that Login is generally not used in our DW, so I cannot filter off of it alone.
We have a stored procedure which will convert that login to the matching UserID, which I can then filter the report on.
My issue there is that although I have a secondary dataset which returns the current users EmployeeID, that dataset cannot be used in the filter of my primary data set, nor in any parameters.
Because of the need to identify current user, I do not know of a way to do this within SSMS, but am stuck trying to make it work in SSRS
To clarify the linked report idea, I was planning to have a Boolean where true/false indicated whether to display data for the current user or just return all. The linked report was an effort to not replicate the RDL with this minor change
Any help will be greatly appreciated, this is the sort of issue I am sure I will come across again in the future
I ended up solving this thanks to the mental jumpstart if got from TPhe..
What was needed:
In my TSQL Procedure I created two new variables. One, a Boolean which toggles whether to filter on the person or not. This Boolean is flipped between the SuperUser and Individual report versions. And the second was an EmpID filter (previously we only had a free-text name filter)
If the Boolean is set to view only individual then the report filters to only Current user, which I acquire through a dataset generated by the SP which I mention in the original question.
The key is the Boolean parameter. I titled it viewALL; Defaulted to True for superusers.
I then created the linked report, and altered parameters so that viewAll was set to False, meaning show only the current user information.
I had to add these parameters to the SSRS so that I could Manage the report on the ReportServer and flip the Boolean, and of course they were needed in the SQL for use in my where:
Where ((viewALL = 'False' AND EmployeeID = #CurrentEmployeeID) OR (viewALL = 'True' AND EmployeeName like '%+#EmployeeName+%'))

How to pass parameters to report model in Reporting Services

I'm developing report in RS that show top N customers based on some criteria. It also allows to select number of customers and period of time.
Is it possible to do it by using report model? Thing that it seems to be difficult is how to pass parameters determined by user.
Another thing that in my oppinion is very disappointing is that i cannot use SQL query as dataset query, because it uses odd and elaborate XML. Although report model items seem to map its fields to query or table fields.
I m concerning using report models because i need to provide uniform data model (the same tables and fields) for more or less different database schemas.
It would be very nice if somebody would explain what can be done with report models and what can not.
Maybe what you're looking for is to use the result of a Stored Procedure as the data source for your report. You would need to define parameters at a Dataset level to pass to the SP
You can create report model based paramaterized filters through the query designer by adding a filter, drag the field you want to filter on into the filter area, then right click on it and select "Prompt". This will automatically create a report parameter which you can then edit via the parameter properties dialog to set the data type, allow multiple values, etc.