Create a Prompt Directly in a Report Page

You can add prompt controls directly in a report page instead of creating a prompt page.

Prompt controls that are added to report pages will not appear in the following:

• saved reports

• PDF reports

• reports that are sent to users by email

• scheduled reports

Prompt controls are interactive. They are used to satisfy parameter values before running a report. As a result, prompt controls added to a report page only appear when you run the report in HTML format. When you run a report in HTML format, users select which values they want to see, and the report is refreshed, producing a new report.

For the non-interactive reports listed above, prompt parameter values must be collected and satisfied before the report is run. You provide the parameter values using the Run options tab in IBM Cognos Connection. If you do not provide all the required values, the report will fail to run. You can access the Run options tab by clicking the set properties button  for the report.

Tip: The Revenue by Product Brand (2005) sample report in the Sales and Marketing (cube) package and the Rolling and Moving Averages interactive sample report include value prompts. For more information about The Great Outdoors Company samples, see Sample Reports and Packages.

Steps

1. In the Insertable Objects pane, on the Toolbox tab , drag a prompt control to the report.

   The Prompt Wizard dialog box appears.

2. Provide the information necessary to create the prompt.

   Tip: Make the prompt optional by selecting the Make the filter optional check box. Otherwise, when you run the report for the first time, the prompt appears in a generated prompt page rather than in the report page. Alternatively, you can specify a default selection for the prompt .

3. In the work area, click the prompt.

4. In the Properties pane, set the Auto-Submit property to Yes.

   If you do not set the Auto-Submit property to Yes, the report will not refresh when users select a different prompt value.

   Tip: An alternative to setting the prompt to auto-submit is to add a prompt button from the Toolbox tab and set its Type property to Finish.

The prompt control is added to the report page. You can modify its properties by clicking it and making changes in the Properties pane.