The Expression Builder is an important part of ReportPro's design interface and you will encounter it frequently as you create reports. ReportPro uses expressions extensively for a variety of purposes such as retrieving information from a data source and making decisions during the printing process. Think of an expression as a series of commands that instructs ReportPro how to perform a task.
As the name implies, the Expression Builder is where you build expressions. The Expression Builder contains controls to simplify the process of building an expression. Each control is identified in the following table.
Control |
Description |
Fields List Box |
Lists the database fields available for building expressions. |
Table Select |
Allows you to limit the fields which are displayed in the Field List Box. Select "<All Tables>" to show all the fields or select an individual table to see only fields from that table. This option does not make other fields unavailable for use; but simply limits the fields displayed in the Fields list box. |
Functions List Box |
Lists the functions available to use in building expressions. See Appendix B for a complete function listing. |
Variables List Box |
Lists the User Defined Variables which are available for use in the expression builder. |
Expression |
This is the expression being built. You can directly edit the expression you are building using this edit box. |
OK Button |
Accepts the expression and closes the Expression Builder. |
Cancel Button |
Closes the Expression Builder without accepting the expression. |
Clear Button |
Clears all text in the expression edit control. |
Test Button |
Tests the validity and syntax of the expression being built without having to exit the expression builder. |
Browse Field Values Button |
Presents a dialog that shows sample data for the field highlighted in the Fields List box. |
Short Cut Buttons |
The remaining buttons on the Expression Builder are short cut buttons that enter text in the expression edit. For example if you press the .and. button, the text ".and." is added to the expression edit. |
Table of contents
-
Index
- Copyright
- Installation
- Getting Help
- ReportPro's Design Interface
- ReportPro's Menu System
- ReportPro's Shell Menu
- ReportPro's Work Window Menu
- ReportPro's Pop-up Menus
- ReportPro's Expression Builder
- Building Expressions
- Creating a Report
- Creating a Standard Report
- Creating a Label Report
- Creating a Cross-Tab Report
- Using an ODBC Data Source
- Report Wizards
- Standard Report Wizard
- Label Report Wizard
- Cross-Tab Report Wizard
- Opening a Report
- Saving a Report
- Configuring ReportPro
- Configuring a Report
- Configuring Sections
- Configuring Local Tables
- Configuring SQL Sources
- Configuring the Printer
- Bands
- Configuring Bands
- Drawing Tools
- Configuring Report Objects
- Align
- Set Size/Position
- Background Style
- Border Style
- Print When
- Shadowing
- Line Style
- Auto Size
- Font
- Text Align
- Field Style
- Picture Style
- Field Wizard
- Object Inspector
- Grouping
- Variables
- Print Preview
- Printing
- Abs()
- AddressBlk()
- Alltrim()
- Asc()
- At()
- AtNoCase()
- AtLineNum()
- AtLineNoCase()
- CDOW()
- Ceiling()
- Chr()
- CMonth()
- Cosine()
- Cotangent()
- CTOD()
- Day()
- Descend()
- DOW()
- DTOC()
- DTOS()
- ElapsedTime()
- Empty()
- GroupMembers()
- HardCR()
- HoursBetween()
- iif()
- Integer()
- IsAlpha()
- IsBetween()
- IsDigit()
- IsLower()
- IsUpper()
- Left()
- Len()
- Log()
- Lower()
- LTrim()
- Max()
- MakeDate()
- MakeTime()
- MemoLine()
- MemoTran()
- Min()
- MLCount()
- Modulus()
- MinutesBetween()
- Month()
- Num2CDOW()
- Num2CMonth()
- NumTrim()
- OccursIn()
- Pad()
- Power()
- PgCount()
- PgNo()
- Properize()
- Rand()
- RAt()
- Replicate()
- Right()
- Round()
- RpEOF()
- RpSQLCol()
- Sec2Days()
- Sine()
- Space()
- SqRt()
- Str()
- StrTran()
- Stuff()
- SubStr()
- Tangent()
- Time()
- Today()
- Trim()
- Upper()
- Val()
- Year()
- LightLib
- Database Drivers
- Appendices