If you query for similar sets of information, set up a
prompting query rather than constructing a query and saving multiple
versions of it.
About this task
You probably have an existing query that
you want to convert to a prompting query. It is easy to convert a
query to one that prompts. Or if you want to create one from scratch
first, see Creating queries,
and then start this procedure.
As a prompting
query requires a response from you, it cannot be set to immediately
run or be your part of your home page.
Procedure
To create prompting queries:
- Open an existing query, and then select Save
As Prompting Query.
The Save As
Prompting Query - Add Placeholders dialog box opens. Use
the dialog box to specify what you want to query for by adding a placeholder,
rather than a value.
- In the query string, substitute placeholders
for values.
For more details, see Using prompting queries.
- Click Next to open
the Save As Prompting Query - Customize Placeholders dialog
box.
- Select the type or attribute to be used in
the query. Select one of the Types to customize the values for which
you are prompting. Select one of the Attributes to use values matching
the attribute type and label.
To specify
a type, go to 5.
To specify an attribute, go to step 6. You can use a combination of both in your prompting
query.
- Select the appropriate Types value from the
list. The type selected determines the input field used in the prompting
template.
String shows a text input box,
Date shows an input box plus a calendar icon, and Listbox shows a
list.
- Select the appropriate attribute from the
list.
When you select an attribute, your query prompt
shows the current values for that attribute. The Type and Label fields
are automatically completed for you. You can override the label field
when you have multiple prompts in the prompting query.
- For any attribute value, complete the substeps.
- Select the attribute, and then change the label
as required.
- To add or remove placeholders, click Back and
repeat step 5 or
step 6 for the
remaining placeholders. Click Next when you
are finished.
- In the Save As dialog
box, type the name and description of the prompting query you created.
- In the Folder list,
save it in the appropriate folder, as appropriate.
- Click OK.
- To check your query, select it from the appropriate
folder. Set the values of the input fields, and then select a format
and click Run. Click Edit to
modify the query.