String Length Question... 1

[ChiTownDiva]

I'm getting the following error message:

String Length is less than 0 or not an integer

When I first wrote the report, the selection formula looked like this:

{CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD} like {?Course Session} and
{CRSE_SESSION.START_DT} in {?Start Date} to {?End Date} and
{LOOKUP_STRINGS.TTL} like {?Location}

I changed it to this:

Left({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},InStr({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},Chr(45))-1) like {?Course Session} and
{CRSE_SESSION.START_DT} in {?Start Date} to {?End Date} and
{LOOKUP_STRINGS.TTL} like {?Location}

I believe the part I have italicized is what's generating the error, but I don't know why or what it means.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

ChiTownDivaus

 

[noxum]

It may be that chr(42), the *, isn't found in one of the records.

 

[ChiTownDiva]

Thanks Noxum...

But I'm using chr(45) which is a dash. A dash separates every course from the session number, i.e. CB253-007. I need to compare everything left of the dash.

ChiTownDivaus

 

[noxum]

sorry miss read my ascii table...

Have you tried putting the dash in quotes instead of the char(45) "-"?

 

[lyanch]

Is it possible that course number can be blank or null?

Lisa

 

[noxum]

Put the
not( isnull({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD}) ) and

statement in before

Left({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},InStr({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},Chr(45))-1) like {?Course Session} and
{CRSE_SESSION.START_DT} in {?Start Date} to {?End Date} and
{LOOKUP_STRINGS.TTL} like {?Location}

I've been told that the order in which you place your selection statements matters, so try filter out the null fields then process the other statements

 

[lbass]

How about testing the formula by adding:

if InStr({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},Chr(45))-1 > 0 then

Left({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},InStr({CRSE_SESSION.LOCAL_SESSION_CD},Chr(45))-1) like {?Course Session} and
{CRSE_SESSION.START_DT} in {?Start Date} to {?End Date} and
{LOOKUP_STRINGS.TTL} like {?Location}

If it works, then you have a course number without a "-" somewhere. Testing for nulls or blanks seems like a good idea, too.

It also might be helpful to know what you have set up for defaults for {?Course Session}.

-LB

 

[Ngolem]

these are all good suggestions...probably the null is the reason for the failure....but having said that...do you really want such a complicated formula in a record selection??

With this kinda formula your report will crawl as nothing will pass down to the server. I think it is better to grab all records quickly and then use crystal sort this out using this as a suppress criteria for sections

Jim Broadbent

 

[ChiTownDiva]

Thanks guys for all your help...:-D

The Not ISNull() function still generated the error, so I ended up using LB's formula. Thanks LB!!

ChiTownDivaus