Specifying prompt answers for any other prompts not listed

Any other prompts are those 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.

For example, a Regional Revenue document contains a link to another report called Yearly Revenue. When the link was created, Yearly Revenue contained only a prompt for Region. The link uses the Answer dynamically prompt answer mode to answer that prompt, so the region that the user selects to access the link answers the prompt. The user is not prompted when the target is executed. However, after the link was created, a second prompt, for Category, is added to the Yearly Revenue report.

Now a user selects Central in the Regional Revenue document, and clicks the link for Yearly Revenue. The report does not execute immediately, but instead the Category prompt appears. The user must select a category to continue or, since the prompt is not required, can include all categories by clicking Finish. In the sample shown below, the user answered the prompt with the Book and Movie categories.

Because the Category prompt was added after the link was created, the prompt uses the prompt answer method assigned to Any other prompt. Since the creator of the link did not change that method, it is still defined as the default of Prompt user.

If you edit the Yearly Revenue link in the Regional Revenue document now, the Category prompt is displayed in the list of prompts. Its prompt answer mode is defined as Prompt user, although you can change it. You can also select a different prompt answer mode for Any other prompt.

Change the Category prompt to Answer with an empty answer. Change the Any other prompt option to Use default answer. Create a prompt on Subcategory, and add the following as default answers:

• Literature

• Cameras

• Comedy

• Rock

Add the new Subcategory prompt to the Yearly Revenue report.

If you re-execute the Regional Revenue document, right-click Central, point to Link, and then select Yearly Revenue, you are not prompted at all. The target is filtered by Region and Subcategory, but not Category, as shown below.

• The Region prompt is answered dynamically (by your selection of Central).

• The Category prompt is ignored and therefore does not show up in the report filter.

• The Subcategory prompt uses the default answers defined in the prompt (Literature, Cameras, Comedy, and Rock).