Defines a simple single-value parameter.
This element defines a single-value parameter. Scalar parameters can have selection lists.
Scalar parameters can provide a selection list. The list
can be static (defined by the selectionList
property) or dynamic (defined by the dataSet
,
valueExpr
and labelExpr
properties.) The user can be required to select a value from the list, or can
enter a value not in the list (as controlled by the
mustMatch
property).
BIRT uses the following rules to determine the selection list:
The data type for the parameter.
The data type for the parameter. The data type controls how the Requester formats, parses and validates the parameter. Every type can optionally provide a choice list. And, the parameter can require that the user select one of the choices.
selectionList
property
defaultValue
property
Hides the user’s entry by displaying asterisks or similar characters. Often used for passwords.
This property hides the user’s entry by displaying asterisks or similar characters. Often used for passwords. The default is to show the entry in plain text.
hidden
Property
The default value of the parameter.
The default value for the parameter. The default value can be an expression, but cannot reference any other parameters.
Whether the value of the parameter can be null.
Whether the value of the parameter can be null. The default is false. The user must enter a value for the parameter if no default is provided.
Whether to allow a blank value for string parameters.
If the parameter is a string field, this attribute says whether to allow a blank string value. The default is true. Ignored for parameters of type other than string.
List limitation number.
Value for the list limitation number. If the limitation is provided, only the top-n choices will be available in the parameter request dialog.
The prompt text displayed when user input the parameter value.
The text that will be displayed to the user when he/she is prompt for the parameter value.
Type of the parameter
Type of the parameter, can be static or dynamic
Formatting pattern for showing the parameter in the UI.
Formatting instructions for the parameter value within the parameter UI. For UIs that are able to show formatted parameter values, provides a BIRT format used to display the value. The format is dropped, and the unformatted value presented, when the user edits the parameter value.
Formatting instructions for the parameter value within the parameter UI. By default the UI should use the following rules:
The format string must be one of the valid BIRT format strings (see the Style element for a list.) The format is used by the UI to display the value after the user moves away from a field. For example, to format a number as a dollar amount.
The suggested type of UI control to use when displaying the parameter.
The suggested type of UI control to use when displaying the parameter. The default depends on the parameter properties:
The list-box control is rendered in the UI depending on the value of the
mustMatch
property. If mustMatch
is true, then the user much choose a value from
the list, and the control is rendered as a UI list box. However, if mustMatch
is
false, then the user can chose an item from the list, or type in a different
value, and the control is rendered as a UI combo box.
mustMatch
property
How the items should appear in the UI. Choices are auto (default), left, center or right.
How the items should appear in the UI. Choices are auto (default), left, center or right.
Defines a selection list for the parameter: static list of values from which the user can choose.
The parameter selection list provides a developer-defined list of choices. Every choice has two parts: a choice and a label. The label can be externalized and appears in the UI. The choice is the value passed to the report. For example, labels may be “Open? and “Closed?, while the values are ?0? and ?1?.
The items in the list are of the type given by the parameter data type.
mustMatch
property
fixedOrder
property
controlType
property
If true, then the value that the user provides must match one of the values in the static or dynamic selection list.
If true, then the value that the user provides must match one of the values in the list. If false, then the values in the list are a reference; the use can enter additional values as well. Ignored if the property does not have a selection list.
Whether to display the list sorted in unsorted (fixed) order.
Whether to display the values in the order defined in the list, or whether to resort the list lexicographically based on the actual translated values. The default is true, and the selections are displayed in the order in which they are defined.
selectionList
property
dynamicList
property
The name of the data set to execute to obtain a selection list dynamically.
The name of the data set to execute to obtain the list.
This element defines or references a query that defines a dynamic selection list for the parameter. The data set can reference other parameters, but only those that appear in the design before this parameter. Sorting can be done by the data set (if the fixedOrder property is true), or can be done by BIRT (if the fixedOrder property is false.)
The data set must return a column that contains the choice values. It may also contain a column that returns the labels for the values. All other columns are ignored. The choice is that passed to the report when run. The optional display value is shown to the user in the UI. For example, the display values might be “Residential?, “Commercial?, and “Government? while the corresponding parameter values are “R?, “C?, and “G?.
An expression on the data set row to return the value of each choice in a dynamic list.
An expression on the data row from the dynamic list data set that returns the value for the choice. If omitted, then BIRT uses the first column.
An expression on the data row to return the display value for each choice in a dynamic list.
An expression on the data row from the dynamic list data set that returns the prompt for the choice. If omitted, then BIRT uses the value as the label.
Bindings the data set column and expressions with the property values..
Property values of a scalar parameter can bind to a data set column through bound data columns' names. If a data set column or expression are not bound in the data columns, the exeuction of the expression fails.