How to manipulate field, char (1) from query results to be a varchar2

Question

Trying to manipulate the value from SQL Reports data model query (SVALUE1) and use a conditional stmt to change to varchar2 using a variable. i.e,
if svalue1 = 'Y' then
     tp_srch_type = 'P-P';
elsif svalue1 = 'N' then
     tp_srch_type = 'P-M';
elsif svalue1 = 'R' then
     tp_srch_type = 'P-OP';
return (tp_srch_type);
I want the report to display the variable tp_srch_type and not svalue1.
I am limited to using boolean return type when trying to code the trigger in the svalue1 object browser.
Is it a function or placeholder that can be used within the data model or should this be a PL/SQL outside the data model? If so, how to implement?

Answer 1

Hi,
you have at least two different ways to achieve that:
- you can define a new field in your query using a DECODE function:
e.g. SELECT svalue1,
DECODE(svalue1,'Y','P-P','N','P-M','R','P-OP',...) sValue1Dec;
then you can use sValue1Dec in your layout instead of svalue1;
- otherwise you can extract only svalue1 from your query and next you can define a 'column formula' field (in the same group as svalue1) defining its PL/SQL formula as:
function ..............is
tp_srch_type ....%type;
begin
if svalue1 = 'Y' then
tp_srch_type = 'P-P';
elsif svalue1 = 'N' then
tp_srch_type = 'P-M';
elsif svalue1 = 'R' then
tp_srch_type = 'P-OP';
return (tp_srch_type);
end;
then you can use your CF field in your layout instead of svalue1;
Hope this helps you.
Bye
Raffy