VA 7.1 - Select the most recent date in a Dropdown list

[Suemar]

Hi everybody.

I am creating a report in which there is a DropDown list that contains a Date category.  When I open the report, the date (value) that was selected when the report was saved is showed, doesn't  matter if other values for the category has been added.

The DropDown list is used as an interaction that filters a list table.

I'm updating the LASR table through batch process, and every day a most recent Date is available in the table, and I wish I could make the selection in the drown list change every day this way when the report be opened with the most recent date selected.

What I have already tried: 

 - To Rank and Sort the category

    I just ranked and ordered the values but I didn't realize how to force selection for the first value in the list.

 - I tried to use Max(date) to create a new column in LASR table.

   It created the same value for the all rowns in the table, this way it is impossible to filter.

I hope I could explain - even not strait to the point - what I would like to do.

I would really appreciate your help.

Thanks in advance.

[Frank_Boekamp]

Hi Suemar,

Have you tried following:

Sort the dropdownlist descending on the date value

Do not select a specific value in the list

Check the property 'Required'

Now (if I'm correct) the last value will be displayed when opening the report.

[mike2468]

This doesn't work (at least in 7.3). Checking "Required" automatically selects the top value in the dropdown.

Even if it did, it would only work once. The report will always reopen with the last viewed date selected and not the most recent. It is confusing for users who may not realize they are seeing stale data. 

The simplest workaround I have found is to have one report for current data and one for historic. The current-data report does not have the date dropbox and gets a filtered view of the table that only includes the latest date.

You could also add a field to your table that flags the most recent date and filter on that in the VA report -- have a prominent "current/final" switch tied to a parameter that applies a datasource filter, or break the report into two sections. I don't think you can use max(Date) in VA for this -- I think you will have to build it in your LASR table at extract time.

I don't find any of these alternatives very satisfactory and am posting in the hope someone has a better idea.

[Suemar]

Hi mike, thanks for you answer.

The situation I'm facing is exacty the same you stated: "The report will always reopen with the last viewed date selected and not the most recent. It is confusing for users who may not realize they are seeing stale data".

I think, to create two reports is the simplest way to pass through this situation.

Regarding to other sugestion " have a prominent "current/final" switch tied to a parameter that applies a datasource filter" I assume that I need dig deeper to check how to implement it, it wont be possible right now, but later on I will do it and if I have problem I post in here again - maybe in other post.

Finally, the max date I mentioned, I created in LASR not in report layer.

Thanks a lot and your ideas were very helpful.

Suemar Souza

[Suemar]

Hello Frank, thanks for your answer.

I have already tried what you mentioned, but the report display the value (date) that was selected last time it was saved.

For purpose of knowledge sharing, there are other sugestions in other answer that may be helpfull for all of us.

Thanks a lot for your commitment in helping and sugestions.

Suemar Souza

[rgreen33]

Was a solution found for this?  We are using VA 7.4 and we are trying to solve this exact same issue.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ricky