Re: need to program dates params

First off date values should be stored in columns with date or datetime data type.  That would make this a non-issue.  However, I understand that may be out of your control with no time or resources to change it.

To make this work you have to input the parameters as dates and convert the data from the database to a date.  The reason you must do this is that "110513" is greater than "102714" when you evaluate them as strings, but not as dates give the format of "MMddyyyy".

So make sure your parameters are of type "Date".

Next, navigate to the Selection Formulas-->Record... from the menu...

Create a formula like this...

CDate(

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 5, 4)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 1, 2)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 3, 2))) >= {?From Date}

 

And

 

CDate(

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 5, 4)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 1, 2)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 3, 2))) <= {?To Date}

where you database field is Command.DateString and your parameters are From Date and To Date.

You could simplify this a bit by have just a Date parameter and allowing a range of values...

Then the record selection formula would look like this...

CDate(

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 5, 4)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 1, 2)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 3, 2))) >= Minimum({?Date})

 

And

 

CDate(

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 5, 4)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 1, 2)),

ToNumber(Mid({Command.DateString}, 3, 2))) <= Maximum({?Date})

There most likely are better ways to convert that string value to an actually date value, but this is what I came up with and it seems to work.  Also, you will have to take extra steps if a date like January 2, 2014 is not stored in your database as "01022014".

Noel