Use Report Parameters

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To affect report content or data retrieval, a parameter must be referenced in report logic. This connection allows parameter values to filter records, evaluate calculated fields, and adjust report element appearance.

Filter Report Data

You can use report parameters to filter out source data based on user input. You can filter data on the client or server side depending on your preferred usage scenario:

Client side (downstream)

The report component loads all records from the underlying data source and applies a filter locally. This data source-agnostic technique allows you to replace data source components without parameter configuration changes. Compared to server-side data filtering, this technique requires more memory and computing resources on the client machine.

Server side (upstream)

The remote server applies a filter to source data and sends only target records to the client. This technique is particularly beneficial for report generation on large datasets when memory/computing resources and network bandwidth are constrained on the client. Unlike client-side data filtering, server-side filters can be used only with relational databases (SQL data sources or web APIs that accept request parameters).

Refer to the following help topic for detailed instructions: Filter Report Data.

Use Parameter Values in Expressions

Reference parameters in report element and calculated field expressions to display user input, apply conditional formatting, and compute values that combine report fields with parameter values.

Refer to the following help topic for detailed instructions: Use Parameter Values in Expressions.

Enter Parameter References Directly

Enter a question mark (?) followed by the parameter name to reference a parameter in filters and expressions: ?ParameterName.

For example, the following expression calculates a discounted price based on the UnitPrice data source field and the discountParameter parameter value:

[Orders.UnitPrice] * ( 1 - ?discountParameter )

The same syntax works in functions and other complex expressions. The following expression highlights report fields that contain the highlightAddressParameter value:

Iif( Contains( [ShipAddress] , ?highlightAddressParameter ) , 'AntiqueWhite' ,  'Transparent' )