Form for choosing report options

  • Thread starter Thread starter DianeM
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DianeM

This is a somewhat philosophical question. I have a rather complicated
form in an issues database that users can employ to generate a custom
report. There's an option group that allows the user to choose a
detailed or list-format report (this option determines which report is
opened); there are four combo boxes that allow the user to filter the
issues to show only a set of data (by issue originator, by issue
owner, and by two levels of department information), and finally,
there are start and end date fields for the report (and an option box
to specify if you want to filter by date opened, date due, or date
completed).

My question is, what method is recommended for passing all this to the
appropriate report? I need to both filter the records and create
wording on the report that describes what the report includes. For
instance, if someone wants a report of issues assigned to Joe which
were opened between October 1 and October 31, 2007, I need to have a
line at the top of the report that says "This report shows issues
opened between October 1 and October 31, 2007, which were assigned to
Joe" (or something like that).

Should I:
Pass filters and headlines to the report via the report's OpenArgs?
Build queries that pull parameters from the open form to filter the
data?
Use hidden fields on the form to create headlines and then set fields
in the report equal to those form fields?

I have a lot of the form designed, but I'm stumped about which avenue
to pursue, and would welcome any recommendations.

Thanks!
 
If you are using 2003 you can use the OpenArgs of the report to pass it the
string. Another method is to use hidden text boxes on the form and have the
report reference those text boxes. Use the Report's Open event to populate
the controls.

As to filtering, leave the query plain vanilla with no criteria. Use the
Where argument of the OpenReport method to do the filtering.
 
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