> ## Enabling the User to Filter Data

> When you create a report, you build a data set and typically specify filter criteria to display a certain set of data in the report. When a user views the report, the user sees the information that you selected. As users become familiar with the report and recognize its potential as an analytical tool, they may want to view the data in different ways. For example, in a sales report, a user may want to view only sales in a particular region, or sales over a certain amount, or sales that closed in the last 30 days.

> The solution for this type of ad hoc reporting requirement is for the report to prompt the user to provide information that determines what data to display. You make this solution available by creating report parameters.

> To enable users to filter database data, complete the following tasks in the recommended order. For detailed information about these tasks, see the corresponding topics later in this section.

> | Create report parameters to prompt the user to specify values that determine what rows to retrieve.

> | Insert parameter markers in the SQL query.

> | Create a data set parameter to supply a value for each parameter marker.

> | Bind the data set parameter to the report parameter, so that the data set parameter gets the user-specified value from the report parameter and passes it to the SQL query.

> | Determine how to present the report parameters.

> | Test the report parameters.

(c) Copyright Actuate Corporation 2013