Using parameters in reports for VIsual Studio 2008
- by Jim Thomas
This is my first attempt to create a Visual Studio 2008 report using parameters. I have created the dataset and the report. If I run it with a hard-coded filter on a column the report runs fine. When I change the filter to '?' I keep getting this error:
No overload for method 'Fill' takes '1' argument
Obviously I am missing some way to connect the parameter on the dataset to a report parameter. I have defined a report parameter using the Report/Report Parameter screen. But how does that report parameter get tied to the dataset table parameter? Is there a special naming convention for the parameter?
I have Googled this a half dozen times and read the msdn documentation but the examples all seem to use a different approach (like creating a SQL query rather then a table based dataset) or entering the parameter name as "=Parameters!name.value" but I can't figure out where to do that. One msdn example suggestted I needed to create some C# code using a SetParameters() method to make the connection. Is that how it is done?
If anyone can recommend a good walk-through I'd appreciate it.
Edit:
After more reading it appears I don't need report parameters at all. I am simply trying to add a parameter to the database query. So I would create a text box on the form, get the user's input, then apply that parameter programmatically to the fill() argument list. The report parameter on the other hand is an ad-hoc value generally entered by a user that you want to appear on the report. But there is no relationship between report parameters and query/dataset parameters. Is that correct?