Geesh I feel like pain here, but I have yet another question. (CR 8.5)
I am creating my reports using ODBC going to a SQL2000 server. This server houses all of the information I am creating my reports from. This is live data which is updated and maintained by a program that we use for our student information.
Since this is live data, I really can not "adjust" the data like I need to do in this case. Here is the problem.
I have a parameter set up which is tied to our student ID number. This allows the end user to run a report for any student they want. The problem is this. The setup for that particular field is a string and it is setup to be 12 characters long. However, all of our student ID's are only 5 characters in length. So what is happening is I am getting 7 spaces before the 5 digit number. So if someone keys in the 5 digit number, nothing shows up. But if you do 7 spaces and then the 5 characters, it comes up fine.
I thought about just adding the ID's into the selection list and then they can just chose the ID they want from the drop down. But I fear they might find this a bit bulky considering there will be over 11,000 ID's in this list.
So is there a way to either tell Crystal to ignore those 7 spaces at the beginning or automatically add those 7 spaces spaces into the selection box so that when a user just types in the 5 characters, it actually has 12 in there? Or does anyone have a better idea for me? Have I made my problem as clear as mud? (-:
I am creating my reports using ODBC going to a SQL2000 server. This server houses all of the information I am creating my reports from. This is live data which is updated and maintained by a program that we use for our student information.
Since this is live data, I really can not "adjust" the data like I need to do in this case. Here is the problem.
I have a parameter set up which is tied to our student ID number. This allows the end user to run a report for any student they want. The problem is this. The setup for that particular field is a string and it is setup to be 12 characters long. However, all of our student ID's are only 5 characters in length. So what is happening is I am getting 7 spaces before the 5 digit number. So if someone keys in the 5 digit number, nothing shows up. But if you do 7 spaces and then the 5 characters, it comes up fine.
I thought about just adding the ID's into the selection list and then they can just chose the ID they want from the drop down. But I fear they might find this a bit bulky considering there will be over 11,000 ID's in this list.
So is there a way to either tell Crystal to ignore those 7 spaces at the beginning or automatically add those 7 spaces spaces into the selection box so that when a user just types in the 5 characters, it actually has 12 in there? Or does anyone have a better idea for me? Have I made my problem as clear as mud? (-: