Hi DAW,

Currently, to filter a report one has to use either the "Filter Expert" or "Filter Function" or in some cases both.

Filter Expert
Pro: Search/Finds are optimised.
Con: Doesn't support parameters - only literal values.

Filter Function
Pro: Supports parameters and if then blocks - highly configurable!
Con: Search/Finds are NOT optimised.


We are in the stage of converting Crystal reports to DF reports - the one frustrating thing is the unavailability to use parameters within the "Filter Expert" !!! If we want to use parameters to filter the report than we HAVE to use the "Filter function" method which is not optimised! Imagine reporting 10 records across a table of 1 million records !!!

If we want to use the "Filter Expert" then the developer needs to know the Table, Fields, operators and filter - wherelse previously in CRW the developer didn't have to - it was a blackbox. The developer would simply pass the value into the parameters and the report would do its thing.

If you force a parameter in the "Filter Expert" - it generates an SQL statement with the literal value: "PCHRX"."BRCH"='{?Brch}' - maybe the optimiser should check if the value is a "Parameter" and use the value of the parameter rather than parameter name.

Selling DR5 to end users (non developer edition) would definitely require parameters to used within the "Filter Expert".

I really hope this would be implemented soon.

Thanks.