The completed Report Parameters
dialog for the sort direction parameter appears as depicted in Illustration 20.
7.
Click OK
to accept input and close the dialog, returning to the Layout tab.
We now
have parameters in place to support the two sort considerations for the
information consumers. Let's modify the report to leverage our new structures
and bestow the capability to control sorting on an ad hoc basis.
8.
Select the Preview
tab, to begin a quick check of connectivity and overall report operation.
The
report executes, and appears as depicted in Illustration 21.
The
report appears in its initial "rolled up" state, with the Total
Sales summarized at the Territory level.
9.
Expand the Northwest territory row, by clicking the "+"
sign to its left.
10.
Expand Pamela
Ansman-Wolfe, which appears under the expanded Northwest row.
Ms. Ansman-Wolfe's
sales order information appears, as partially shown in Illustration 22.
Illustration 22: "Drilled
Down" View of the New Report
We
will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of our enhancements best from this
level, as we will be working with the Order Number and Total Sales
values on the Layout tab in the following steps.
11.
Click the Layout
tab to move to the Layout view.
12.
Click the "cell"
containing the words "Order Number," within the table data
region to "activate" the region, enabling us to see the border with
gray selection handles around the table, as depicted in Illustration 23.
Illustration 23: Border
and Handles Appear
13.
Right-click
the upper-left-corner handle of the region.
14.
Select Properties
from the context menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 24.
Illustration 24: Right-Click
the Top Left Handle, and Select Properties ...
NOTE: The gray handles seem to disappear, with a
semi-transparent border appearing in their place, when we perform the right-click.
Selecting Properties from the context menu still gets us where we need
to be, assuming the right-corner was selected when performing the right-click.
The Table
Properties dialog appears, opening on the General tab.
15.
Click the Sorting
tab within the Table Properties dialog.
16.
Input the
values shown in Table 3 into the Sort on table:
|
Expression:
|
Direction:
|
|
|
|
|
=IIF(Parameters!SortAscOrDesc.Value="Asc",Fields(Parameters!SortSelection.Value).Value,0)
|
Ascending
|
|
|
|
|
=IIF(Parameters!SortAscOrDesc.Value="Desc",
Fields(Parameters!SortSelection.Value).Value,0)
|
Descending
|
|
|
|
Table 3: Sort On Table Entries for the Sorting Tab, Table Properties Dialog
The Sort
on table, on the Sorting tab of the Table Properties dialog,
appears as depicted in Illustration 25.
Illustration 25: Our Entries in the Sort On Table, Sorting Tab of
the Table Properties Dialog
17.
Click OK
to save the entries, and to close the Table Properties dialog.
» 
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