Make drop-down box for multiple choices with reporting tool

[becklery]

Background
Drop-down box has many advantages. Such as simplifying data input, avoiding wrong input and realizing the mapping between display value and code, etc. Therefore, it is very common in the input interface of Web report.

Usually, drop-down box is made for single choice. But in real business, the value of a field may have several choices. In this condition, a drop-down box for multiple choices will be helpful.

Take an employee information report for an example. An item is specialty foreign languages, and someone may be good at several foreign languages. If users have to design a column for each foreign language, the structure of the report will make users crazy. Then, if users can make a drop-down box for multiple choices, and those selected foreign languages can be saved in only one field, the problem will be solved.

Difficulty
It seems that the function is easy to realize. But this is not the case. Main difficulties are as follows:

1. The data submitted from multiple choices box to background is an array. Before saving it into database, programmers have to write program to transform it to a string separated by comma.

2. The data saved in database is a string. Before modifying the data in multiple choices box, programmers have to write program to transform the string to an array, and then display it in the input interface.

3. When there are too many options, drop-down box will be inefficient. In this condition, a drop-down tree will be helpful. However, as leaf node allows multiple choices, and branch node doesn’t allow doing this, programmers have to set different properties for them. Therefore, it is much more difficult.

Solution
As a professional Web reporting tool, RAQ Report does everything to make users feel convenient. With thorough consideration of corresponding detail, RAQ Report provides a multiple choices option for many edit styles directly. Such as drop-down list, drop-down dataset, and drop-down tree, etc. With this wonderful function, users can realize multiple choices easily.

Easy Operation
1. Set Report style as Row report and set Input type as Input Report. As shown below:


2. Define the edit style of the report. Such as drop-down list, drop-down dataset, and drop-down tree, etc.


3. Check the Multi Selection option in the properties box of edit style.

Graphic Illustration


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