Answering a prompt with a value

Use the following procedure to answer prompts for which you type a specific value, such as a date or number. This type of prompt looks like the following:

1. Determine whether an answer is required for this prompt. This information appears at the top of the prompt window, listed as either Required or Optional.

   • If an answer is not required:

     • You can decide not to provide an answer. You can ignore the prompt and click Next to go to the next prompt question, if there is one. If there are no other prompts, click Finish. The report is executed and you are finished with this procedure.

     • You can decide to answer the prompt. To do so, proceed to the next step.

   • If an answer is required, the report cannot be executed without an answer. To answer the prompt, proceed to the next step.

2. Determine whether the prompt has a default answer already provided. If it does, a default answer appears in the far right pane of the prompt window. If there is no default answer, proceed to the next step.

   • If a default answer is provided:

     • If the default answer suits your needs, and you do not want to add other answers to it, click Next to go to the next prompt question, if there is one. If there are no other prompt questions, click Finish. The default answer is used to filter data for the report's results, and you are finished with this procedure.

     • If the default answer suits your needs but you want to add other answers to it, proceed to the next step.

     • If the default answer does not suit your needs, click the default answer and click the left arrow to move the default answer to the center pane.

3. Determine whether the prompt contains saved personal answers, which allow a user to save prompt answers for a specific prompt, and then reuse the answers on any report that the prompt is used on. If it does, the Remember this answer check box is selected or the Edit answers button is available.

   • If the prompt allows a single personal answer and a personal answer has already been saved, the Remember this answer check box at the top of the window is selected. The personal answer is displayed in the far right pane of the prompt window. If the check box is cleared, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, do one of the following:

     • If the personal answer suits your needs, and you do not want to add other answers to it, click Next to go to the next prompt question, if there is one. If there are no other prompt questions, click Finish. The personal answer is used to filter data for the report's results, and you are finished with this procedure.

     • If the personal answer suits your needs but you want to add other answers to it, proceed to the next step.

     • If the personal answer does not suit your needs, remove the personal answer by clicking the double left arrow to move the personal answer to the center pane. Proceed to the next step.

   • If the prompt allows multiple personal answers and a personal answer has already been saved, the Edit answers button at the top of the window is available. If it is not, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, do one of the following:

     • To use a saved personal answer, select the personal answer from the drop-down list near the Edit answers button. You can use these answers, or add additional answers to them.

     • If you do not want to use a saved personal answer, proceed to the next step.

4. Type an answer in the field provided. You must type the form of answer the prompt is expecting, as follows:

   • Date prompt: You can do any of the following:

   • Type a date value, such as 8/14/2027.

   • Select a date from the calendar. To do this, click the drop-down menu icon to open the calendar.

   • Create a dynamic date, which is a fixed set of dates or a range of dates that are a fixed offset of the current date. To do this, click the Date Editor icon. The Date and Time Editor opens. Select Dynamic Date. Create the dynamic date, as described in Date and Time Editor. Click OK to return to the prompt.

   • Numeric prompt: Enter integers or decimals up to 15 digits.

   • Text prompt: Enter alphabetic characters that form any type of text string.

   • Big Decimal prompt: Enter integers and decimals up to 38 digits.

   • Long prompt: Enter integer numbers up to 10 digits.

5. Determine whether the prompt allows personal answers. If it does, the Remember this answer check box (for a single personal answer) or the Save this answer check box (for multiple personal answers) is displayed.

   • If you want to save a personal answer:

   • If the Remember this answer check box is displayed, only one prompt answer (which can contain multiple items or qualifications) can be saved. Select the Remember this answer check box. The items that you selected above are saved as the personal answer for this prompt. They are displayed when you re-execute this report, and also for any other report that uses this prompt.

   • If the Save this answer check box is displayed, you can save and name multiple personal answers. Select the Save this answer check box. Type the name in the Name field. You can set this personal answer as the default, so that it displays when you use this prompt again, either on this report or another.

     You do not have to save the report to save a personal answer; it is saved automatically.

   • If you do not want to save a personal answer, proceed to the next step.

6. Click Next.

7. If there are additional prompts on the report, use the appropriate steps to answer them. (Procedures for answering other types of prompts are listed below.) Otherwise, review the summary of your answers and click Finish. The report is executed and your results are displayed.

If you want to see how your prompt answers were used to create the report's filter, from the View menu select Report Details. Your prompt answers appear in the Report Details window, in the form of report filtering conditions.

If you want to see data filtered in a different way, click the Reprompt button and answer the prompt again to create a different filter for the report results.

: If you clear the default answer for a value prompt and then reprompt the report, the default answer is displayed again.

Related Topics

• Answering a prompt from a list

• Answering a prompt with an attribute filter

• Answering a prompt with a metric filter

• About prompts: Provides information for report designers and creators