For certain report parameters, users can click the Variable (
)
icon next to the field to
reference a variable value instead of entering a static value. For example,
a user might want their report to always use the current month for its
Start Period parameter, or they
could set a date parameter to always use the first of the month. Variables
are also used to facilitate more advanced functionality like packet parameters and batches.
The following variable types are available for various fields throughout Report Gateway:
▪ Relative date—Allows users to populate a date parameter with a relative date. The following options are available:
▪ Day
▪ Current day—Uses the current day.
▪ Previous day—Uses the previous day.
▪ Next day—Uses the next day.
▪ First of month—Uses the first day of the selected month.
▪ Last of month—Uses the last day of the selected month.
▪ Offset by—Enter a positive or negative number to use the current day of the month plus or minus the entered value. If the value is offset far enough, the parameter will use days from previous or future months.
▪ Day of month—Enter the exact day of the current month to use. If you enter a number greater than the number of days in the current month, the last day of the month is used. If you enter a negative number in this field, the parameter will use a day that is that many days before the end of the month, where -1 is the last day of the month.
▪ Month
▪ Current month—Uses the current month.
▪ First month of quarter—Uses the first month of the current quarter by default. To increment or decrement the quarter, enter a positive or negative value in the field next to this parameter. For example, if you enter -1, the parameter uses the first month of the previous quarter. If the value is decremented far enough, the parameter will use quarters from previous years.
▪ Last month of quarter—Uses the last month of the current quarter by default. To increment or decrement the quarter, enter a positive or negative value in the field next to this parameter. For example, if you enter -1, the parameter uses the last month of the previous quarter. If the value is decremented far enough, the parameter will use quarters from previous years.
▪ Offset by—Enter a positive or negative number to use the current month of the year plus or minus the entered value.
▪ Year
▪ Current year—Uses the current year.
▪ Offset by—Enter a positive or negative number to use the current year plus or minus the entered value.
▪ Relative period—Allows users to populate a period parameter with a relative period. The following options are available:
▪ Month
▪ Current month—Uses the current month.
▪ First month of quarter—Uses the first month of the current quarter by default. To increment or decrement the quarter, enter a positive or negative value in the field next to this parameter. For example, if you enter -1, the parameter uses the first month of the previous quarter. If the value is decremented far enough, the parameter will use quarters from previous years.
▪ Last month of quarter—Uses the last month of the current quarter by default. To increment or decrement the quarter, enter a positive or negative value in the field next to this parameter. For example, if you enter -1, the parameter uses the last month of the previous quarter. If the value is decremented far enough, the parameter will use quarters from previous years.
▪ Offset by—Enter a positive or negative number to use the current month of the year plus or minus the entered value.
▪ Year
▪ Current year—Uses the current year.
▪ Offset by—Enter a positive or negative number to use the current year plus or minus the entered value.
▪ Packet parameter—This option is only available when a report is part of a packet. Packet parameters allow users to populate the reports in a packet with shared values. For more information, refer to the Managing Packet Parameters topic.
▪ Item from iteration list—This option is only available when a report or packet is part of a batch. For more information on using this variable type, refer to the Working with Batches topic.
After a variable has been selected, the variable appears in bold in the parameter field and cannot be edited.
To remove a set variable, click the Delete
icon
next to it.