You can pass parameters to Report‑Writer from the command line for reports based on SQL queries. You cannot pass parameters that contain delimited identifiers on the command line if your report specification contains a QUEL query.

If necessary, for details on debugging your query, see the section on the II_EMBED_SET printqry option in your System Administrator Guide.

Suppose your report specification contains the following code:

To pass in a value for the numeric variable, $deptno, on the command line, enclose the variablename=value clause in parentheses ( ):

Regardless of whether your report specification uses an SQL or a QUEL query, you pass values for numeric variables in the same way. Your report specification code would look like this for QUEL:

The report specification must enclose the string and date variables, $dname and $ddate, in quotes that are appropriate for your query language (in this case, single quotes for SQL), as shown in the following example:

The previous example retrieves data for employees in the named department, $dname, who were hired on or after a specified date, $ddate.

If the variable is quoted appropriately for your query language (single quotes for SQL or double quotes for QUEL) in the report specification, use the following syntax for specifying a string or date value on the report command line:

Each string or date value must be enclosed in single quotes to identify it to Report‑Writer as a string. Report‑Writer strips off these quotes before assigning the value to the variable in the query. Additionally, enclose the entire variablename=value clause in parentheses ( ). If it contains any characters treated specially by your operating system (such as parentheses in Windows NT and UNIX or slashes in VMS), the parenthetical clause must be enclosed within double quotes to pass it through the operating system.

For example:

If the report specification omits the query language‑specific quotes around the variable (for example, where deptname = $dname instead of where deptname = '$dname'), these quotes must be supplied to the query. To do so, include them in the string or date value on the command line within the single quotes required to identify the string to Report‑Writer. You must dereference the embedded single quotes required by SQL. To dereference single quotes within a single‑quoted string you double them (''). Additionally, if the parenthetical clause contains characters special to your operating system, enclose the entire parameter within double quotes. For example:

The report specification must enclose the string and date variables, $dname and $ddate, in double quotes for QUEL, as shown in the following example:

This example retrieves data for employees in the named department, $dname, who were hired on or after a specified date, $ddate.

If the report specification omits the query language‑specific quotes around the variable (for example, where e.deptname = $dname as opposed to where e.deptname = "$dname"), these quotes must be supplied to the query by including them within the string or date value on the command line, inside the single quotes that identify the string to Report‑Writer. Additionally, if the parenthetical clause contains characters special to your operating system, enclose the entire parameter within double quotes and escape any double quotes within the parameter according to the rules for your operating system.

Windows: In Windows, you escape double quotes by preceding them with a backslash (\). For example:

UNIX: In UNIX, you escape double quotes by preceding them with a backslash (\). For example:

VMS: In VMS, you escape double quotes by preceding them with another double quote. For example:

In the following examples, the where clause itself is a variable for the report. You pass the entire where clause to Report‑Writer from the operating system command line in the variablename=value clause. The .query section in the report specification might look like this:

In this case, the value in the variablename=value syntax is a string containing the search qualifications. Enclose valuestring in single quotes to identify to Report‑Writer as a string, as shown in the following example:

If the parenthetical clause contains characters special to your operating system, enclose the entire parameter within double quotes:

The valuestring can include a variable and a value. If the value in the valuestring is a character string or date, it must be enclosed in quotes that are appropriate for your query language (single quotes for SQL). Dereference single quotes within the single‑quoted valuestring by doubling them ('').

For instance, in the following example enclose the date string, 12/31/98, in a double set of single quotes to dereference them inside the quotes surrounding the valuestring:

If your operating system requires it, enclose the entire parameter within double quotes:

The resulting valuestring is:

The entire where clause is passed to Report‑Writer from the operating system command line in the variablename=valuestring clause. The .query section in the report specification might look like this for QUEL:

The valuestring can include a variable and a value. If the value in the valuestring is a character string or date, it must be enclosed in quotes that are appropriate for your query language (double quotes for QUEL). For instance, in the following example enclose the date string, "12/31/93" in double quotes within the single‑quoted valuestring:

If your operating system requires it, enclose the entire parameter within double quotes and escape any embedded double quotes.

Windows: To dereference double quotes in Windows, precede them with a backslash (\). For example:

UNIX: To dereference double quotes in UNIX, precede them with a backslash (\). For example:

VMS: To dereference double quotes in VMS, double them. For example:

The resulting valuestring is:

To pass multiple parameters in a where clause, you follow the same rules for the use of parentheses and quotes as described in the Passing an Entire Where Clause section. For example, suppose your report specification contains the following code:

You would enter the following command on the command line:

If your operating system requires it, enclose the entire parameter within double quotes:

Suppose the value in the valuestring is a delimited identifier. For example, you want a list of employees with some other information about each employee that is to be determined at runtime by entering a column name.

To accomplish this, your report code looks like this:

The information you want to select from the database is in a column whose name is a delimited identifier.

To specify the delimited identifier as a value on the command line, you must:

Escape the double quotes surrounding a delimited identifier by preceding them with a backslash (\):

Escape the double quotes surrounding a delimited identifier by preceding them with a backslash (\):

Escape the double quotes surrounding a delimited identifier by preceding each with another double quote:

For more information on how to pass delimited identifiers on the command line, see the System Administrator Guide.

Suppose the database value for which you are entering a comparison value contains embedded single or double quotes, as for example:

Suppose the where clause is specified in the report as:

You want to specify a value for the variable so that Report‑Writer produces the following SQL query:

Follow this procedure:

To specify a value for the variable so that Report‑Writer produces the following QUEL query:

Follow this procedure:

You can use variables in your report specification that prompt the user for a value at runtime. For string or date values, the report specification must be coded to include quotes around the variable that are appropriate for the query language. If these quotes are included in the report specification, the user can enter the value, as is, without the surrounding quotes. For example, suppose the report specification contains either the following statements:

Or, these QUEL statements:

At runtime, the user can enter:

Report‑Writer displays the prompt:

The user can respond:

If the report specification omits the query language‑specific quotes around a string or date variable, the user must enter these quotes along with the value on the command line. For example, suppose the report specification contains the following where clause for an SQL or QUEL query:

The user must respond to the prompt:

If the value is a delimited identifier or contains embedded quotes, the user must follow their query language's rules for dereferencing quotes within the string.