Need to edit source from GUI

[resnak]

I am writing a gui interface for a database report that needs to be run monthly. The report pulls call length information from a database but needs to pull that info only for members of one department. The database table doesn't have a field telling what department each user is in so I have to provide the list of users either in the source code or from a field in the gui. I would prefer to have a pregenerated list so that every name doesn't have to be added each time but I would also like to add names to the list in the future as new people are hired into the department. I am setting this up to be as user friendly as possible so I would prefer to not have to edit the source every time a new person joins or an old person leaves. Is there any way to have the list in the source, have it display that list in the gui, and have that list editable from the gui in such a way that those changes could be saved and will be displayed the next time the program is run?

 

[resnak]

Nevermind, I think I figured out a way to do this. For anyone that is looking for an answer to this in the future, check out this article:

http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2001/03/gui.html

In this article it shows how to build a gui that uses some configuration files. I think the configuration files will work for me.

 

[PaulTEG]

If you have access to the DB, I'd chuck another table in there as well

--Paul

cigless ...

 

[resnak]

I don't have priveleges for the database other than reading becuase the same database is used by other departments for reporting also. So any changes would affect these other departments too.

 

[PaulTEG]

You can approach your DBA to create a table for your application, chances are the data you're looking already exists, or can be created, as a query based on existing info in the database.

There's no benefit in using text files when you have an audited and managed DB in existence

Just my €0.02
--Paul

cigless ...

 

[resnak]

It's not that the data isn't there it's that I am running a report on the data that is there, only I want just a slice of that data. As time goes on, the slice that I want will change and I want someone that knows nothing about programming to be able to go in and make that change once and have it take effect for every subsequent running of that report. But it's fine, as I said, I've found a way to do this with separate configuration files.

 

[arn0ld]

my vote is for PaulTEG. We assume this is a relational database? If so, this is relational database 101.

There must be a table in the database that contains employees and their department. So

select info .....
from mytable, other_table
where ...
and other_table.deptno=DepartmentOfInterest
and mytable.empno=other_table.empno

 

[resnak]

Okay, the database is Symposium Call Center Server. There is no way of accessing the actual tables. I don't know why but the only way of pulling the data is from views. There is no one single view that states this person is in tech support, this person is in customer service, this person is blah blah blah. I can see that this person is in this skillset and this person is in that skillset but the skillsets are always changing too because company policy is changing. So, of all of the things that are always changing it is more likely that management, who would probably be the most likely to be the ones running this report in the future, would be better able to look at a list of people and say, "Hey, Joe Smith hasn't been added to this list since he was hired. I better add him." Than to look at a list of skillsets and say "Hey, that's not all of the skillsets. I need to delete this one and add this one."
So, in my case, I think the whole configuration file would be a better choice.
I really do appreciate everyone trying to help, but I have solved this problem and am ready to move on.