QUESTION name TYPE type PROMPT "prompt" [DESCRIPTION "description"] [FORMAT "format"] [DEFAULT "default"] [INFO LINE "info_line"] [JUST just] [REQUIRED]
Arguments
name
The name of the temporary question field to be created. It can have up to 15 characters but cannot contain spaces.
TYPE type
The data type of the question field. See the Discussion for valid values and required syntax.
PROMPT “prompt”
The text for the question field prompt.
DESCRIPTION “description”
(optional) A description of the question field. It can have up to 40 characters.
FORMAT “format”
(optional) The display format for the question field. It can have up to 40 characters.
DEFAULT “default”
(optional) The default answer to the question field. It can have up to 80 characters.
INFO LINE “info_line”
(optional) The text that appears on the information line when this question field is displayed. It can have up to 80 characters.
JUST just
(optional) The justification of the question field. Valid values for just are:
LEFT (default for alpha, time, and user type fields)
CENTER (not valid for numeric, date, and time fields)
RIGHT (default for decimal, implied-decimal, and date fields; not valid for alpha and user fields)
REQUIRED
(optional) Specifies that a nonblank alpha or nonzero numeric entry is required in the field.
The QUESTION statement describes a temporary question field to be created in a report. Question fields store answers that the user enters when the report is run. They are temporary fields that are not found in the repository. The maximum number of question fields that can be defined in a report is 99.
If a temporary question field does not have a unique name, it must be preceded by “TEMP.” For example, if a temporary field is called STATE and one of the selected files also contains a field called STATE, you would specify the temporary field like this:
TEMP.STATE
The type argument indicates the data type of the question field: alphanumeric, numeric, date, user, or time. See below for the valid syntax for each data type.
Alphanumeric
ALPHANUMERIC SIZE size [UPPERCASE]
SIZE size
The length of the question field.
UPPERCASE
Converts lowercase input characters to uppercase.
Numeric
NUMERIC SIZE size [PRECISION dec_places] [NODECIMAL] [NEGATIVE] [BLANKIFZERO]
SIZE size
The length of the question field.
PRECISION dec_places
(optional) The number of characters to the right of the decimal point in an implied-decimal question field. This attribute is required for a data type of implied-decimal. The value must be less than or equal to the size of the field. Otherwise, the field is ignored.
NODECIMAL
(optional) Indicates that the user does not need to type a decimal point when placing input in a decimal or implied-decimal question field.
NEGATIVE
(optional) Allows negative values in decimal and implied-decimal question fields.
BLANKIFZERO
(optional) Indicates that a decimal or implied-decimal question field will be left blank if the user enters a value of 0.
Date
DATE STORED store_format [DATE TODAY]
STORED store_format
Specifies the storage format for a date question field. Valid values are:
YYPP
YYJJJ
YYMMDD (default)
YYYYPP
YYYYJJJ
YYYYMMDD
DATE TODAY
(optional) Defaults the date to today’s date if the user presses Enter without entering anything in a blank question field.
User
USER SIZE size USERTYPE "user_type_id" [USERTEXT "user_text"] [UPPERCASE]
SIZE size
The length of the question field.
USERTYPE “user_type_id”
The ID of the user-defined data type. It can have up to 30 characters.
USERTEXT “user_text”
(optional) A user-defined text string associated with the question field. It can have up to 80 characters.
UPPERCASE
(optional) Converts lowercase input characters to uppercase.
Time
TIME
(The time data type has no arguments.)
Examples
- The question field defined below is an alphanumeric field of size 30. The prompt is “City:”, the answer defaults to all cities, and the text “Enter name of city.” appears on the information line when the prompt is displayed at report generation time.
QUESTION CITY TYPE ALPHANUMERIC SIZE 30 PROMPT "City:" DEFAULT "*" INFO LINE "Enter name of city."
- The question field defined below is a numeric field of size 4. (In other words, 9999 is the maximum value that can be entered.) The user is required to enter a value for this field.
QUESTION CUST_ID TYPE NUMERIC SIZE 4 PROMPT "Customer ID:" INFO LINE "Enter customer identification number." REQUIRED
- In the example below, the question field is a date field of size 6 (YYMMDD). The user is required to enter a value for this field, and the field will be displayed in the MM/DD/YYYY format if it is selected as a field to print.
QUESTION BEG_DATE TYPE DATE STORED YYMMDD PROMPT "Beginning date:" FORMAT "MM/DD/YYYY" INFO LINE "Enter the beginning date to read from." REQUIRED
- The question field below is a user-defined data type field of size 8. The identification of the user’s data type, “U_DATE1”, and the text “MM-DD-YYYY” is passed to the RPS_DATA_METHOD subroutine for display formatting.
QUESTION BEG_DATE TYPE USER SIZE 8 USERTYPE "U_DATE1" USERTEXT "MM-DD-YYYY" INFO LINE "Enter the beginning date to read from." REQUIRED
