Save Dynamic Formula from Input Box in Bookmark

[#1]

Hiya Guys,

I have an Input Box (referencing an empty Variable) in which a User can enter a "Title" for their current Report (dynamic pivot) and save with their Bookmark.

This works well unless a formula is used in the Variable, for exmaple:

=Now()

...this will update each second, on screen, as expected.  However, as soon as the Bookmark is saved and reloaded, the Variable has been converted to the static date/timestamp at the point of saving.

Is there any way to save the entire actual formula "=Now()" within a Variable when saving a Bookmark?

Cheers,

Steve.

[#2]

*BUMP*  🙂

I guess no one has any ideas?

Cheers,

Steve.

[#3]

I guess this isn't possible then?!  😞

If no one has any ideas I'll submit a Development Idea.

Steve.

[Gysbert_Wassenaar]

Try defining your variable as now() instead of =now(). Does that do what you want?

[#5]

Hiya Gysbert,

Thanks for your input - unfortunately that makes no difference, the saved Bookmark variable is still the same, static, result of the formula.

Any other ideas?  🙂

Cheers,

Steve.

[Gysbert_Wassenaar]

I'm probably misunderstanding your problem. I've attached three qvw documents. In the first I've defined two variables and use these in a text box. The times don't start running until you do change something in the document, for example deleting a text box (an undoing it). In the second I've added a bookmark, but haven't activated it. In the third I have activated it once. You'll see that the variable vTest2 now contains an evaluated time instead of the expression. If you again apply the bookmark after opening the time in the left text box will start running again. In the second it won't since there it can only display the fixed value of vTest2.

[#7]

Hiya Gysbert,

Thank you for taking time to look into this for me... I also think I misunderstood your post previously, so hopefully my example (attached) will help.

In my example - if you open the Bookmark "Formula_BM" it shows how a Variable with a prefixing "=" (vTest2) will be 'evaluated' on saving - and therefore the Variable becomes static (whereas vTest1 remains unaltered).

This causes an issue as I would like Users to enter a description for their QV Dashboard directly into the Input Box - and therefore require the use of the "=" for it to be evaluated.

For example, if a User enters the following description in an Input Box:

='Data shown is between ' & vStartDate & ' and ' & vEndDate

Then this works fine and updates accordingly when the Timeline Slider is updated... UNTIL a Bookmark is saved - upon which the Variable is evaluated and the description then becomes 'static'.

Does this make more sense?

I appreciate your time - but I'm not sure there's a way to solve this (without, perhaps, changing my method of displaying a description?).

Cheers,

Steve.

[#8]

Hi Steve,

In Settings -> Document Properties-> Variables there is an option to "Include in Bookmarks" for each variable. This is set to true by default. If you switch this property off for your variable(s) it should give you the facility you require.

Kind Regards,

Footsie

[#9]

Hiya footsie,

Apologies it's taken me so long to get back to you.

Unfortunately, this still doesn't seem to work - and I require the Description Variable to be saved along with my Bookmarks - as it effectively describes what the Bookmark is, and so directly relates!

Without the Description being saved, it's no use... sorry!

Thanks for your input though!  🙂

Anyone else got any other ideas?

Cheers,

Steve.