Specifying how prompts are answered in the target

This section contains only a brief overview of prompt answer methods. For more detailed descriptions of the different prompt answer methods, including examples, see the Linking Documents chapter of the Document Creation Help. For background information on prompts, see the description of prompt types in Building Query Objects and Queries chapter in the Basic Reporting Help.

To pass parameters to the target, the target must contain a prompt. When you create a link, you define how the target's prompt is answered, by selecting one of the following prompt answer methods:

• Answer with the same prompt from the source. The same prompt answers that were used to execute the source are used in the target. This option requires that the source and target use the same prompt. If the same prompt does not exist in the source and in the target, the user is prompted to provide an answer when the target is executed.

• Prompt user. When the target is executed, the user is prompted to provide answers manually.

• Answer with an empty answer. The prompt in the target is ignored, which means that the prompt is not answered. No prompt answer is provided from the source and the user is not prompted to provide answers.

The prompt must not be required, because if the prompt is required, the user is prompted to provide an answer when the target report is executed by clicking the link.

The Answer with an empty answer method, when used in conjunction with the dynamic prompt answer method, allows a source document to answer one prompt in a target with the user selection, while ignoring any other prompts.

• Use default answer. The prompt is answered by the default prompt answer for the prompt in the target. If the target prompt does not have a default answer, the Answer with an empty answer method is used. In this case, the prompt is not answered, unless it is required, in which case the user is prompted to provide an answer.

The following prompt answer methods are not intended to be used with buttons, since a button does not select an object in the source. If you use one of them with a button, the user is prompted for an answer. For a button, use one of the methods described above.

• Answer dynamically. The object selected in the source is passed to the prompt in the target. If this object does not answer the target prompt, the Answer with an empty answer method is used. In this case, the prompt is not answered, unless it is required, in which case the user is prompted to provide an answer.

Available only for attribute element prompts and value prompts.

• A hierarchy prompt allows users to select prompt answers from one or more attribute elements from one or more attributes. This prompt gives users the largest number of attribute elements to choose from when they answer the prompt to define their filtering criteria. The Answer using all valid units prompt answer method passes selections made on the source document, rather than just the selection made for the link, to the target. To restrict the prompt answer to just the selected attribute element, use the Answer using current unit prompt answer method. Like the Answer dynamically method, only the attribute element that is selected is passed to the target.

These two prompt answer methods are available only for hierarchy prompts.

• Answer using current unit. The prompt is answered using the object selected in the source. If the user selects an attribute header rather than a specific attribute element, the Answer with an empty answer method is used. In this case, the prompt is not answered, unless it is required, in which case the user is prompted to provide an answer.

• Answer using all valid units. Any object to the left of or above the user selection in the source is used as the prompt answer for the target. In other words, this method passes all the selections made on the source, rather than just the selection made for the link. If the user does not select any valid objects (for example, the user selects an attribute header rather than a specific attribute element), the Empty answer method is used. That is, the prompt is not answered, unless it is required, in which case the user is prompted.

You can select a prompt answer method for prompts that are not in the target when you are creating the link. These can be either:

• Prompts added to the target after the link is created

• Prompts that are created as the result of an answer to one of the original prompts in the target, such as a prompt-in-prompt answer

These prompts are listed as the Any other prompt option in the list of prompts in the Link Editor.