What is the best way to place report paramaters in the Header of a Layout. For exmaple, say I want to run a report for transactions 12/1/06 to 12/31/06 and there are no transactions on 12/31/06 but I want in the header to say the date range 12/1/06 to 12/31/06? I can come up with a few ideas but nothing that works in a multi-user environment.

Hey Jeff,

This can be done by capturing the date ranges in global fields either before the Find or during the Find. The first method would require the ranges for the Find to be entered in the global fields (instead of the date field) while in Browse Mode, whereas the second method would be done in Find Mode but would require a little work to parse the different syntax used for a date find. For example, a date find could be done in any of the following formats:

1/14/07

<1/14/07

≤1/14/07

1/1/07..1/14/07

1/1/07...1/14/07

You can also easily capture User find input (if scripted). The User-entered range is still in the Find.

Enter Find Mode [ pause ]

Modify Last Find[]

Set Field [ globaltext ; datebeingsearched ]

Perform Find[]

It only requires one global to display the User criteria in the Header and it's very flexible. You can take the result and tweak it if you wish but you don't need to. It also holds User accountable for results of the report instead of them blaming the 'dumb computer' when they don't get what they *think* they requested.

Grabbing User find criteria is technique I picked up from Comment. :^)

LaRetta

Wouldn't the global field be used by everyone running the report. In otherwords, what if someone ran the same report at the same time but for different paramaters?

Global fields are User-specific. That's ONE of the beauty's of globals - every User has their own values - always. :

Good idea LaRetta.

But what's the Modify Last Find[] for?

You're right, Mike, it isn't needed here. I take User criteria and modify their finds (within the find requests) and I just added it from instinct. Apologies for my error. :wink2:

I guess my understanding of Global Fields isn't clear. For example, I have a Global Field called TaxRate. I use this value for the current tax rate and it is the same for every user but I only had to put the value in once. I thought when I change that value, it changes for every in user. When is it the same for every user, and when is it different for every user?

You set that Tax Rate global when you weren't served. That's the only way the value will stick. Values set in globals while served will disappear and are different for each User.

I am sorry to make this more confusing that needed, but what exactly to you mean by "served"? Do you mean direct input through a layout vs updated with a "set field" script step?

Served - when more than one User are accessing or sharing the same file at same time whether with FMS or LAN, ie, multi-user environment.

I think I got it. Thanx.

Hi Jeff, and Welcome to the Forum.

If you have to ask:

but what exactly to you mean by "served"?

Chances are you aren't sharing your files yet.

However, we do have a Topic Area for question about sharing: [color:red]Serving, Sharing FileMaker - LAN, WAN, when and if you run into questions about the process.

HTH

Lee