Recently I had to create couple SQL Server Reports (SSRS) with optional parameters built in. It took me a while to refresh memory how this can be done. It was very simple to create reports and processes behind, but connecting these two were are little bit challenging – stored procedure was tested and worked fine, but when the report was passing optional parameters it didn’t returned expected results. After tweaking SQL stored procedures and reports parameter options, the following approach turn to be the winning one.
1) Defining report parameters:
From Menu bar select ‘View’ and ‘Report Data’
Newly open window should have ‘Parameters’ folder display
Right click on this folder and select ‘Add new parameter...’
Default values need to be added from a query
A query values need to include ‘’ (empty string) – as highlighted
2) SQL stored procedure should have CASE statements inside WHERE
and it was the only way that a report was getting correct results back.
Recently I worked with data temporary stored in a txt file. As the files were not present all the time at the location, the code should first check if a required file exists.
Two different ways were used based on other requirements not included here.
1. If more than one file is present, search for the most recent one (in this case, the one that was created today.)
docpath = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("FileLocation")
filename = "testFile.txt"
filescount = System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(docpath, filename)
If filescount.Length > 0 Then
For i = 0 To filescount.Length - 1
ExistingFile = System.IO.File.GetLastWriteTime(filescount(i))
If ExistingFile.Substring(0, 10) = Today Then
'
'
End If
Next
End If
2. If a specific file exists, read the file, and add values to a newly crated list of objects.
dim docpath as String = string.empty
dim filename as String = string.Empty
docpath = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("FileLocation")
filename = "testFile.txt"
Dim Exists As Boolean = My.Computer.FileSystem.FileExists(docpath & filename)
If Exists = True Then
Dim FileText As String = My.Computer.FileSystem.ReadAllText(docpath & filename)
Dim textLine As String()
textLine = FileText.Split(Trim(CChar(Environment.NewLine)))
If textLine.Length > 1 Then
For i = 0 To textLine.GetUpperBound(0)
If textLine(i).Trim().Length > 0 Then
frmTest.lstItems.Items.Add(textLine(i).Trim().ToUpper())
End If
Next i
End If
End If
End If
End If
Recently I attended Microsoft HTML5 WebCamp where I had a chance to get insights on all new features HTML5 has to offer. Couple things to mention:
- Canvas - a new HTMl5 feature that uses JavaScript to draw bitmap graphics on a web page. Simple approach (less JS coding) makes this interesting: empty space is treated as a painter canvas and a painter brush is replaced with JavaScript.
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is another graphic tool widely publicized. It is not new, it has been around for a decade, but it is getting a new shot with HTML5. One of the main reasons is its scalability as all objects created as SVG are optimized to be viewed in different resolutions (PC screen, mobile device etc). Tools like Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape, Xara X can produce professional svg graphics.
- We couldn’t left Internet Explorer 9 out – we were remind ‘What developers think of Internet Explorer'
before discussion start rolling on GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) acceleration. The featured presentation put Internet Explorer 9 on the first place before Mozilla Firefox 6, Google Chrome and Opera by the time it took to render a page. The example below, HTML5 Blizzard, was very convincing that GPU enabled browser renders much faster and provides better graphic experience.
IE9 GPU can be enabled by unchecking ‘Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering’ in Internet Options.
N.
If you upgraded your system to Windows 64 bit one and try to run 32 bit web application registry key entries are not going to be located at the same place.
Apparently, 64 bit based version of Windows has a new registry branch for 32 bit programs. It is located in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software registry folder named ‘Wow6432Node’. New program installations are monitored by system and registry entry are placed in proper folders based on is 32 or 64 bit program.