You can only use a Parameter trip sequence with a report that contains one or more Parameter fields (see Allow Users to Specify which Data is Included in a Report).
To specify a trip sequence for a Parameter, you enter the trip code:
%P<name>[.<sub-item>][;<format>]%
where:
<name> is the name of a Parameter field used in the report
<sub-item> can optionally be specified if the Parameter is a range Parameter (see Parameter Field). A range Parameter has two values—one that defines the start of the range, and another that defines the end of the range. With a range Parameter, you can either:
- Omit the <sub-item> for ClearSCADA to replace the trip sequence with both Parameter values, separated by a space
or:
- Specify the <sub-item> as:
- Start for ClearSCADA to replace the trip sequence with the Parameter’s starting value
or:
- End for ClearSCADA to replace the trip sequence with the Parameter’s ending value.
For examples of range Parameter trip sequences, see below.
When a user exports a report and enters values for a range Parameter, they can optionally omit either the start (No Lower Bound) or end (No Upper Bound) value of the range. If both values are being used by a trip sequence, only a single value will replace the trip sequence if one of the bounds is omitted. If only one of the values is being used in the trip sequence and that value/bound is omitted, the report will still export, but the trip sequence will be replaced by nothing.
- Start for ClearSCADA to replace the trip sequence with the Parameter’s starting value
<format> is optionally used to control the appearance of the information that ClearSCADA substitutes in place of the Parameter’s trip sequence. You only need to specify a format if:
- The format is to differ from the default for the type of Parameter
or if:
- The Parameter is a Date Time, or Time Parameter (see Parameter Field) for which the default format includes a colon (:) (for instance to produce a time in the form 12:30:00)
and the trip sequence is:
- Used to specify a file name (as a colon is not a valid character for a file name)
or:
- Used elsewhere, where similar restrictions exist.
- Used to specify a file name (as a colon is not a valid character for a file name)
The custom formats that you can specify for a Parameter are the standard custom value formats that are supported by ClearSCADA (see Date and Time Syntax, see Numeric Syntax, see Text String Syntax, and see Boolean Syntax—these are sections in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration).
Example:
A report uses a range Parameter named ‘MyRange’. The Parameter has a range of values, starting with the value ‘1’ and ending with the value ‘10’. The trip sequence %PMyRange% provides both values, in the form ‘1 10’. The trip sequence %PMyRange.Start% provides only the starting value ‘1’, and the trip sequence %PMyRange.End% provides only the end value ‘10’.
A report uses a range Parameter named ‘TimeRange’. The Parameter is used to specify the time period for which data is included in the report. The trip sequence %PTimeRange.Start;d MMMM yyyy% is used to specify the earliest date for which data is included in the report. The format d MMMM yyyy sets the time to use the time and date form of: 5 September 2011.
A report includes a Parameter named ‘Number’. The Parameter is referenced in the trip sequence %PNumber;0.00%. The format 0.00 means that the Parameter’s value takes the form 1.30.
A report includes a Parameter named ‘SpecifyGroupName’. The Parameter is used to restrict the points included in the report to those in a specific database Group. The Group is specified when the report is exported. The File Name field on the report’s Export Destination tab is set to: \\GRBServer\\Reports\%PSpecifyGroupName% Points.pdf. (You only include the file extension if the report’s Export Destination is set to File on Disk.) This results in the exported report being assigned a name that indicates the Group to which the point data in the report is restricted.
Further Information