Can I use expression builder to return a SQL query result to a variable?

Question

I am using a software, pc/mrp, which appears to have a built-in Visual Fox Pro editor for FRX files. It also has an external usage of an ef file. Based on some usage of Google, the report designer seems standard, not custom. The ef file usage may be a custom thing. Now, I need to find a way to get access to a value from a SQL statement inside the report. The statement needs to run per-line in the report.

EF: This file has sections: ~in~ ~out~

In these sections, I can run code, but if there is a ~perline~ type section, I don't know how to access it. I can use the ~in~ to try to create a relationship between the databases, as shown in the following example:

~IN~
THISAREA = SELECT()
USE PARTMAST ORDER BYPARTNO IN 0
SELECT (THISAREA)
SET RELATION TO PARTNO INTO PARTMAST ADDITIVE
GO TOP

~OUT~
USE IN SELECT("SALES")

But, for this I don't know how to join the databases. I have two databases (A,B) I need to connect them based on two fields (pono,line). If (A.pono and a.line) = (B.pono and B.line) then they would be linked. Is this possible?

Report Designer: The other way I see this working is to do the query inside the report designer. Inside report properties is a variable tab. I can use this to assign to variables using expressions. I need:

SELECT field from B where B.pono = pono and B.line = line; INTO ARRAY varArray;

But, it gives me an error, likely because this is trying to create a new variable as opposed to actually assigning to the variable in the report. I tried editing a field inside the designer to use the preceeding code as well, but that also failed.

Is there a way using the report designer or the ef file to grab the data I need per line?

Answer 1

The sample code you show is doing something like a join with the SET RELATION command. To use SET RELATION, there has to be an index on the relevant field (expression) in the child table. So, if your table B has an index on PONO + LINE (or, if those are numeric, STR(PONO, length) + STR(LINE, length)), you can SET RELATION TO PONO + LINE INTO B, again, using the more complicated expression if necessary.