truncate left 33 characters of field and use as parameter

[tcbc]

How can I truncate a free text field and then use that truncated string as paremeter.

Example
Free text field says

Monthly Objective - water garden.

I want to use as parameter
{?Monthly Objective}

 

[tcbc]

I meant not first 33 characters but rather 17 characters

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
The LEFT() or SUBSTR() functions can handle the truncation, but I know of no way to make that a parameter - a value to search for, yes, but what would a parameter made of it be compared to?





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[tcbc]

left({objecivefield.month},17)={?Monthly Objective}

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
What value is in {?Monthly Objective} - the formula you posted is not a way to create a parameter, as far as I know.

Parameters are used to control some aspect of the report ( usually some record selection criteria) , so what database field are you planning to use the {?Monthly Objective} parameter against as a selection?
(assuming its you can get its value to be the text 'Monthly Objective')

Maybe you can explain what you want to accomplish.







To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[marckssg]

I'd look at basing the report on a SQL command and then perfoming then creating a field in the SQL showing the 17 characters of the desired field and base the paramter on this.

Cheers

Marc

 

[CsaintAZ]

Just create a formula that includes:

left({objecivefield.month},17)

If the formula is called Test, place the following statement in your Record Selection Formula

{@Test} in {?Monthly Objective}

If your "Monthly Obective" parameter is a range,the "in" operator will cause formula results in the range to be selected