Query a view w/data entered into a text field populated by 2 table fields

Question

Hello, Looking for advise!!! I have a tabular canvas thats datablock uses a view to populate. In this canvas I have a text field that has been populated with first_name || ' ' || last_name in the database node of the property pallate column name. The text field is not in the table or view. I have created it in the data block and make it a database item. However, I would like to have the user push a search button to go into ENTER_QUERY mode then the user would enter the criteria to search on in this text field. The user would then push button to EXECUTE_QUERY. The result is I retrieve all records. I want any search criteria entered into this field to be used against the last_name field to retrieve any records equal to the search criteria entered, for example A%. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Answer 1

Hi!
You have to use PRE-QUERY trigger to compose the search criteria. Below I put an example of it. You have to have at least one item in the block wich is true database item (e.g. it has to exist in table or view on which your block is based). In the following example EMP_DESC is your non-database search item and EMP_ID is the database one.
Declare
Dummy VARCHAR2 (2000);
begin
if :EMP.EMP_DESC IS NOT NULL and :EMP.EMP_ID IS NULL
then
Dummy := '#IN (SELECT emp_id FROM Employees WHERE Upper (emp_first_name)||'' ''||Upper (emp_sec_name) LIKE Upper (''%'||:EMP.EMP_DESC||'%''))';
Copy (Dummy, 'EMP.EMP_ID');
end if;
end;
Thats it. Note the # sign in the first position of the Dummy assignment. This is required by forms to glue your search criteria and block's where clause. You may analize LAST_QUERY property of your block in order to understand how this work. Remember also to set the QUERY_LENGTH property of the EMP_DESC item to the value that could contain the whole Dummy string (otherwise it will give you an error and cut the mar the query).
Hope this helps.
Sergey.
P.S. And set your EMP_DESC database item property to NO.