Organizing report parameters in groups
If you create many parameters or want to provide the user with a prompt for certain sets of parameters, use parameter groups to organize report parameters. For example, you could create a parameter group to contain the report parameters for a specific table or data set.
When prompting the user to supply parameter values, the Enter Parameters dialog displays the parameter group name and the parameters within that group. Figure 13‑27 shows two parameter groups, Office Information and Product Information. Each group contains multiple report parameters.
Figure 16-22 Parameter groups with multiple parameters in each groupFigure 16-22 Parameter groups with multiple parameters in each group
Figure 13‑27 Parameter groups with multiple parameters in each group
You can create a parameter group before or after creating the report parameters. If you create the report parameters first, you can drag them from the report parameters list to the parameter group. If you create the parameter group first, you create the report parameters in the parameter group.
How to create a parameter group
1 In Data Explorer, right-click Report Parameters, and choose New Parameter Group. New Parameter Group appears.
2 In Name, specify a unique name for this parameter group.
3 In Display Name, specify the name that the Enter Parameters dialog displays when it prompts a user for parameter values.
Figure 13‑28 shows an example.
Figure 16-23 Create a display name for a parameter groupFigure 16-23 Create a display name for a parameter group
Figure 13‑28 Create a display name for a parameter group
4 Choose OK. BIRT Report Designer creates the new parameter group and displays it in Report Parameters in Data Explorer, as shown in Figure 13‑29.
Figure 16-24 New parameter group in Data ExploreFigure 16-24 New parameter group in Data Explore
Figure 13‑29 New parameter group in Data Explorer
5 Add report parameters to the parameter group in one of two ways:
*Move an existing parameter to the parameter group. From the report parameters list in Data Explorer, drag an existing parameter, and drop it in the parameter group.
*Create a new parameter in the parameter group. In Report Parameters, right-click the parameter group name, and choose New Parameter.
Figure 13‑30 shows three report parameters in a parameter group called Office_Parameters.
Figure 16-25 Parameter group with three parametersFigure 16-25 Parameter group with three parameters
Figure 13‑30 Parameter group containing three parameters
Figure 13‑31 shows the Enter Parameters dialog, which displays the new parameter group and its three report parameters.
Figure 16-26 Customer Information parameter group on Enter ParametersFigure 16-26 Customer Information parameter group on Enter Parameters
Figure 13‑31 Office Information parameter group in Enter Parameters
Enter Parameters displays parameter groups and report parameters in the order in which they appear in the report parameters list. To display the groups or report parameters in a different order, change the order in Data Explorer.