a question (and warning) about "list of values"

[eliocop]

In a "list of values" that we present to the user (for filling a prompt parameter) arise sometimes items that come with trailing blanks. This because the application that manages the source table does not enforce such integrity control.
The first time that the user selects some items and runs the query, he obtains correct results. But if he reruns the query changing OTHERS parameters and leaving the first list untouched, all the items that did carry trailing blanks become automatically (and invisibly, even for the variable that holds the user prompt and is printed on the report) deselected.
This results in incorrect reports because the showed parameters and the effective parameters do not coincide.
Specifying that I'm talking of Oracle dbms's (7.3 and 8) and "varchar2" datatype, do you know a better solution than disseminating already complex and cluttered universes with defensive "rtrim()" specifications? This occurs in Business Objects 5.1.1

Thanks in advance.
Elio

 

[GeoffT]

Can't you just check the 'Delete trailing blanks' option on the LOV query?

 

[eliocop]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I could, but making this I also would have to correct all the conditions involving this kind of list:

from:

TABLEx.COLUMNy IN @Prompt('choose your items','A','LovSource\Item',multi,constrained)

to:

rtrim(TABLEx.COLUMNy) IN @Prompt('choose your items','A','LovSource\Item',multi,constrained)

this is unfortunate because I don't know in advance what are the tables that in time could be affected by trailing blanks. Moreover rtrim() could also interfere with the use of important indexes. In the end I think we will signal this behaviour to B.O. as a bug to fix.

Best regards
Elio