maxstring mystery

[#1]

Hello... Can anyone explain how this formula is working:

=

maxstring(if(Dimensions='Product',Dimensions,null())) & ':' &

maxstring(if(Dimensions='Source',Dimensions,null())) & ':' &

maxstring(if(Dimensions='Team',Dimensions,null())) & ':'

Basically Dimensions is an inline table with 3 entries (Product, Source and Team).

I've set Dimensions up as the source for a list box and want to achieve a string showing all items selected in the list box seperated with a colon.

This all works fine... but I just don't understand how it works... I've tried breaking it down into parts but none of this seems to make sense!?!

Many thanks! Mike

[#2]

Hello,

maxstring( if(Dimensions='Product',Dimensions,null() ) )

• If() returns Dimensions only when Dimensions ='Product' (then of course it returns 'Product')
• maxstring isn't necessary because if() returns only one Value ('Product') or null()
• & means concat result above with ';' and the result of the next if()

repeat above for the other if()-statments.

BUT there is an alternative:

='Selections for Dimensions: ' & getfieldselections(Dimensions))

Or the John Witherspoon Version I found in this formu a while ago: (Thanks John!)

='Selections for VDatum:
' & if(max(VDatum)-min(VDatum)+1=getselectedcount(VDatum),min(VDatum) & ' - ' & max(VDatum),getfieldselections(VDatum))

[#3]

Hi Roland, thanks for the reply...

Some things I'm still unsure about...

1 - If I remove the maxstring function the formula just returns " - "

2 - Also if I do a simple formula like: =if(Dimensions = 'Product', 'Product Selected','Product Not Selected')
this evaluates as I'd expect when I select Product from the list box but when I
select Product and another item the if statement evaluates as 'Product Not Selected'

I've attached a sample doc if that helps understand...

Cheers, Mike

[#4]

Hi Mike,

look at my little application and play with it. The most exciting question is the returnvalue of Maxstring() in combination with a nested if() and NO selection:

=maxstring( if(Dimensions='Product', Dimensions, null()) )

in a text object.

Even when QV-help says "These functions can only be used on fields in chart expressions." Is it a bug or a feature?

Regards, Roland

[#5]

Hum... very strange...

Thanks for your extra comments... so now I can understand that when multiple items are selected in the list box, then displaying 'Dimensions' in a text box is impossible due to the multi-valued nature. If only one item is selected then a text box will display the single result.

So if I select all three items in the list box (Product, Source and Team) then this code:

=':' &maxstring( if(Dimensions='Product',Dimensions,null())) & ':'
& maxstring(if(Dimensions='Source',Dimensions,null())) & ':'
& maxstring(if(Dimensions='Team',Dimensions,null())) & ':'

returns " :Product:Source:Team: " but I would have thought it shoud return " :Team:Team:Team: " because the 3 if statments would each return a list of the 3 selected items and 'Team' is the maxstring for each of the 3 if statement results ?!?

[#6]

Hi Mike,

yes, the behaviour the combination maxstring() and a nested if() is strange. I will ask our technical QT-rep. for an explanation.

RR

[Oleg_Troyansky]

Let me help you simplify - instead of multiple MaxString, try function CONCAT() :

CONCAT(Dimensions, ';')

You'll get a list of all "possible" (selected or associated) Dimensions separated by semicolon.

[#8]

Hi Oleg,

thanks for your reply. The main questions is: Why does the following expression in a textbox show 'Product' when nothing is selected .

=maxstring( if(Dimensions='Product', Dimensions, 'null()')

In my mind the if() has to return 'null()'. And maxstring of null() is what? For testing look into my little app above.

RR

[#9]

And I'd like to know why that line would return 'Product' even if 'Team' is also selected... as "Team" would 'greater than' "Product" in a maxstring function...

[#10]

CONCAT(Dimensions, ';')

also shows all items if none are selected...