Testing the report parameters
It is important to test all the report parameters to verify that they work the way that you intend and that they meet user needs. Testing entails running the report, supplying different report parameter values, and checking the generated report carefully. Use the following guidelines:
*Test each report parameter as you create it.
If you create many report parameters, it is best to test each parameter as you create it. If you wait until you create all the report parameters before you begin testing, it is much harder to debug errors in the output because it is not immediately clear which parameter causes the problem.
*Run the report without specifying any parameter values.
The result of running a report without specifying any parameter values should be a report with information in it. If the OK button on the Enter Parameters dialog is unavailable, at least one report parameter that is currently empty requires the user to specify a value. Ensure that you provide a default value for each required parameter. A report parameter requires a value unless you deselect the Is Required option.
*Test each value in a list box, combo box, or series of radio buttons.
If you manually created the values that these items display, rather than importing values from the data set field, test each value to confirm that the output is correct. If the report appears with no data, it means that no records matched the selection, which indicates one of three possibilities:
*There are no rows that contain the selected value.
*The value is not valid. For example, you might have created the value Closed for an order-status field, but the value in the data source is actually Shipped.
*Another parameter causes the problem.
To debug the first two possibilities, review the data in the data source. Debugging the third possibility requires more effort if the report contains many other report parameters. As suggested earlier, you can avoid this situation if you always test parameters, one at a time, as you create them.
How to test report parameters
1 In the layout editor, choose Preview. Enter Parameters displays the report parameters that you created.
2 Specify a value for the report parameters. Choose OK. The report appears.
3 Review the report data carefully.
4 Test each report parameter with a different value by first choosing Refresh Report, then providing another value.
5 Repeat step 4 until you are certain that the report displays the correct data.