Adding a search criteria based on current date

rbuser

Is there a way to add a date field into the search criteria of an end-user
report and have it always default to the current day when the report is
run??

Thanks In Advance,
Stacey

--

Regards,
Stacey R. Brodsky
ClubRunner, Inc.
(561) 746-3392

www.clubrunner.net

rbuser

I should mention, that I am trying to do this all in the end-user report
create dialogs. So, I am using the data tab for my criteria, and hoping,
that I can set it somewhere on the calc tab. I would like to avoid any
coding at design time so that my users can create their own reports.

Also, using D5 and RB 6 (I think)

nicocizik

Hi Stacey,

You can set the SearchExpression of the AutoSearchDialog before it gets
created in the Report.BeforeAutoSearchDialogCreate event. Inside here you
can use the Report.AutoSearchFields[].SearchExpression to define the default
autosearch value for the dialog. If you do not want to see the dialog, you
can set the Report.ShowAutoSearchDialog to False.

Here is a quick example.

procedure TForm1.ppReport1BeforeAutoSearchDialogCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
ppReport1.AutoSearchFields[0].SearchExpression := DateToStr(Now());
end;

Note: I created this autosearch field already in DADE.

--

rbuser

Yes, that is what I want to do, but how do I do this without any code at
design-time??? These are end-user created reports, created at run-time.

nicocizik

Hi Stacey,

You can do this completely at runtime using RAP. RAP (Report Application
Pascal) is ReportBuilder's run-time Pascal development environment. RAP
enables the entire report definition (Data, Calculations, and Layout) to be
stored outside of the application executable. Using RAP you could define the
Report.BeforeAutoSearchDialogCreate event completely in the Report
definition without the need for any Delphi code. RAP only comes with the
Enterprise edition of ReportBuilder. If you would like to find out if it
will work for you, please consider downloading a trial version of
ReportBuilder Enterprise 7.03 and testing with that.

--

rbuser

Hi Nico,
Thanks for answering so far. I do have an Enterprise edition...v6.03. I have
the calc tab and I can get to Report.BeforeAutoSearchDialogCreate...but, I
can not get anything to compile in there. I am using
AutoSearchFields[?]...or whatever the name is, but it will not
compile...doesn't understand what AutoSearchFields[?] is??

Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong?

Thanks,
Stacey

rbuser

I'm getting there...in ReportBeforeAutoSearchDialogCreate I have the
following code...

begin
Report.AutoSearchFields[1].Value := CurrentDate;
end;

I also threw up a memo to show me the search criteria. When running the
report, the memo still shows the original 'fake' date I put in for the
Value...and, when hitting the search criteria button to change it, I get an
error : Could not run program : ReportBeforeAutoSearchCreate. If I hit it a
second time, it comes up, but still with the original 'fake' value.

Again...now where am I going wrong?

Stacey

nicocizik

Hi,

The following code worked for me... Hope this helps.

procedure ReportBeforeAutoSearchDialogCreate;
begin
Report.AutoSearchFields[0].SearchExpression := DateToStr(CurrentDate);
end;

--

rbuser

That worked...thank you so much.

rbuser

Stacey,

another approach would be to extend the autosearch classes, as shown in the
code below (unfortunately the code is commented in german), so
autosearchfields of type date are recogniced automatically and the calendar
drop down appears. Of course setting today as default is then easy too.

HTH
Bernd

{
Description:
Diese Unit dient um neue AutoSearchPanels zu erzeugen und im
ReportBuilder zu registrieren.
Es steht ein Datum-SearchPanel zur Verf?gung, sodass, wenn das Datum als
Autosuchfeld angegeben wird, der
DateTimePicker angezeigt wird um das gew?nschte Datum einzugeben.

History:
JES 2002.12.07 created
}
unit AutoSearchDialog;

interface

uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs,
StdCtrls, ExtCtrls, ppForms, ppASCtrl, ppDB, ppTypes, ppUtils, ppASDlg,
ComCtrls, ppASField;

type
// Die Klasse TAdvanceAutoSearchDialog dient um beim Anzeigen des
Suchdialoges, den richtigen abzufangen und
// anzuzeigen.
TAdvanceAutoSearchDialog=class(TppAutoSearchDialog)
protected
// Die Methode GetPanelClassForField ?berpr?ft, ob es sich beim
darzustellenden Suchfeld um einen von ReportBuilder
// oder implementierten Suchdialog handelt. Falls es sich nicht um den
von ReportBuilder handelt, wird die
// entsprechende Klasse aufgerufen.
procedure GetPanelClassForField(aField: TppAutoSearchField; var
aPanelClass: TppAutoSearchPanelClass); override;
end;

// Die Klasse TDateSearchPanel dient um einen Datumssuchdialog anzuzeigen.
TDateSearchPanel=class(TppSimpleSearchPanel)
private
dtSearchPicker: TDateTimePicker;
protected
procedure ShowAllValuesClickEvent(Sender: TObject); override;
public
// Die Methode Create erzeugt und initialisiert alle Objekte, die f?r
diese Klasse notwendig sind.
constructor Create(aOwner: TComponent); override;
// Die Methode Destroy gibt wieder alle Objekte frei, die in dieser
Klasse initialisiert worden sind.
destructor Destroy; override;
// Die Methode Init initialisiert DateTimePicker und setzt den richtigen
Wert ein.
procedure Init; override;
// Die Methode Valid setzt das ausgew?hlte Datum ein, falls der Checkbox
"Bedienung ausblenden" ausgeschalten bleibt.
function Valid: Boolean; override;
end;

implementation

procedure TAdvanceAutoSearchDialog.GetPanelClassForField(
aField: TppAutoSearchField; var aPanelClass: TppAutoSearchPanelClass);
begin
if aField.DataType=dtDateTime then
aPanelClass := TDateSearchPanel;
end;

constructor TDateSearchPanel.Create(aOwner: TComponent);
begin
inherited Create(aOwner);
dtSearchPicker:= nil;
end;

destructor TDateSearchPanel.Destroy;
begin
FreeAndNil(dtSearchPicker);
inherited;
end;

procedure TDateSearchPanel.Init;
var
stValues: TStrings;
begin
inherited;
EditControl.Visible := False;

dtSearchPicker:= TDateTimePicker.Create(Self);
dtSearchPicker.Parent:= Self;
dtSearchPicker.DateTime:= Now;
dtSearchPicker.Left:= EditControl.Left;
dtSearchPicker.Top:= EditControl.Top;
dtSearchPicker.Width:= EditControl.Width;

stValues:= TStringList.Create;
ppParseString(Field.SearchExpression, stValues);
if (stValues.Count > 0) then
dtSearchPicker.Date := ppStrToDateTime(stValues[0]);
FreeAndNil(stValues);
end;

procedure TDateSearchPanel.ShowAllValuesClickEvent(Sender: TObject);
begin
inherited;
dtSearchPicker.Enabled:= not(ShowAllValues.Checked);
if (dtSearchPicker.Enabled) then
dtSearchPicker.SetFocus;
end;

function TDateSearchPanel.Valid: Boolean;
begin
Result := True;
Field.ShowAllValues := ShowAllValues.Checked;
if not(Field.ShowAllValues) then
Field.SearchExpression := DateToStr(dtSearchPicker.Date);
end;

initialization
ppRegisterForm(TppCustomAutoSearchDialog, TAdvanceAutoSearchDialog);

finalization
ppUnRegisterForm(TppCustomAutoSearchDialog);

end.