Workshop

The quiz questions and an activity are provided for your further understanding of the current hour's topics.

Quiz

1:	What are the two distinct steps necessary to apply parameter fields to a report?
A1:	The two steps are (1) Create the parameter field via the Field Explorer dialog, and (2) Implement the parameter field by placing the object within the report, such as a particular section, within another object or a selection formula.
2:	What are three different ways to populate the default values for a parameter field?
A2:	By adding database field values, manually entering values, and importing a pick list of values.
3:	Assuming that a parameter field has already been created, what dialog is used to add that parameter field to the report's record selection?
A3:	The Select Expert dialog, located under the Report menu list.

Activities

To better understand how parameter fields can add value to reporting requirements, try to identify which reports of your own can benefit from them. A couple of things to look for when deciding which reports might be good candidates for parameters are

• Multiple versions of a particular report that you maintain just to service different business users

• Reports that return large data sets

• Reports that include a natural hierarchy of data, such as geographical locations, product categories, or corporate departments

• Reports that display data between specific time frames, such as a begin date and end date

• Any report that business users can more easily navigate by identifying a more precise data set for their query