Specifying variables for actions and action groups

You can create a scheduled task that runs a variety of data objects such as queries, quick reports, visual reports, and procedures containing parameters.

About this task

You use the Set Variables window to define how the parameter values must be passed to the source objects which are specified in the task. You can also use the specified parameters in actions themselves as substitution variables. For example, you can form the file system path by using parameters.

Note: Depending on the type of an object, parameters are represented by different elements. For queries, parameters are prompts defined for these queries. For quick reports and visual reports, parameters are prompts specified in queries on which these reports are based. For procedures, parameters are variables defined in these procedures.

You can set parameter values for both action groups and single actions. You can also set the iterator for the same group. The parameters provided by the single action take precedence, then goes parameter values set for the group, then parameter values set by the iterator.

To specify parameter values:

Procedure

  1. Open the Task window by selecting a task from the Tasks list and clicking Edit Task.
  2. In the Scheduled Tasks view, select the task that you want to work with and click Edit Task.
  3. In the Task window, right-click the action or action group that you want to work with and select Set Variables from the menu. All the parameters specified for the selected data object are displayed in the list of parameters in the Set Variables window.
    Note: If you decide to set parameter values to an action group to which you have already assigned shared prompts, the specified shared prompts are displayed instead of parameters defined in the source object.
  4. To add a parameter, click Add Variable, and then specify its name and the value in the Add Variable window.
  5. To edit or remove a variable, select the variable you want to edit or remove, and click Edit Variable or Remove.
  6. To set the parameter value, open the Add Variable or Edit Variable window and enter either the constant value or a formula in the Value field. To open the Formula Editor window, click the ellipsis (…) next to the Value field.
    Note: You can also set the parameter value directly in the Set Variables window by simply typing it in the required cell of parameters table.
  7. You can change the order in which parameters are calculated by clicking Move Up and Move Down. Parameters are calculated sequentially as they appear in the list and those that have already been calculated can be used to calculate other parameters.
  8. Click OK to close the Set Variables window.