VA input box, allow to search as user enters data

[cuevasj]

Overall, the project I am working on involves taking a data set of more than five million rows, and finding one particual student so that the end-user can print out a transcript. The transcript is generated using a stored processs. The stored process functionality and connection to VA is all working fine, however I am struggling with being able to do a search of the "enrollment" data in order to find a student.

When useing an Input Box to search a data set and return all rows in the data set with that name, the input box will not allow you enter anything if there are too many rows in the original file. How can this be circumvented?

How can I change the functionality of the input box so that as you are typing in the box, the table is flitered? 

What I am doing right now is using substr in the eg project that builds the LASR table for enrollment on the last name, first name, and middle name to pull the first letter only then putting each one of them into new columns (  ex. last_name_01, first_name_01, etc.) Then I use a drop-down box and allow the user to select the first letter of the last name, which then filters the last_name box so that only students with that last name appear. This is kludgy and needs attention. 

Any suggestions?

[Madelyn_SAS · Accepted solution]

You might be able to use this method of filtering the text input control (which has a limit of 40,000 unique values).

1. Right-click the Student Name data item and select Create Parameter from Data Item.
2.The name and type are already filled in. You do not have to enter a Current Value. (Note that this value changes depending on the last selection.) Click OK.
3.Drag your Text Input control into the report canvas, the section prompt area, or the report prompt area. Make sure that it has focus.
4.Click the Roles tab.
5.For the Category role, select the Student Name data item.
6. For the Parameter role, select the Student Name Parameter.
7. (Optional) Remove Frequency if you don't want the list to display the number of unique values.
8. [Correction] The Text Input Control will display the name of the category in gray italic text.
9. Start typing in the box. The filter does a "Starts with" as you type.