RSV-VAL-0034 Failed to validate the variable 01. CRX-API-0016 The expression input string is empty: """" IBM

Question

I am using Version 11.1.2fp2 IBM Cognos. I have many simple case statements that do not validate. The Report Runs. The report produces the expected output of data.

The error is RSV-VAL-0034 Failed to validate the variable 01. CRX-API-0016 The expression input string is empty: """".

CASE
  WHEN [Grant Agency TRACCD FRGBIL FOBTEXT with Budgets].[REAUTH_SDE_LAWS] IS MISSING
    THEN ''
  ELSE TRIM([Grant Agency TRACCD FRGBIL FOBTEXT with Budgets].[reauth_law_chapter])
END

Kindly, I have attached a screen shot with the Do you have any insights?

Answer 1

The CRX error family is usually linked to variable or report expressions, which means it's probably not tied to the data item case statement. Given the report runs it may also indicate the report expression is not actually used anywhere.

Please have a look at: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/crx-api-0016-report-upgrade

Answer 2

The "Validate" button in the Data Item Expression dialog doesn't validate that expression. It validates the entire report. It is often misleading because the message displayed may have nothing to do with the expression you are looking at.

Here's what to do.

1. Close the Data Item Expression dialog.
2. Click on the More button in the top right (the 3 dots arranged vertically).
3. Select Validate report .
4. Select the first item in the Validation response .
5. Click Select .

If Cognos chooses to be nice to you, it will navigate to and highlight the offending object.

Answer 3

@dougp mentioned, an unprocessable variable from cognos is just what happened. Sometimes it might get hard to find the variable itself. One way of finding it is to get the xml definition and the search for the the declared variable. Reimporting the report won't overwrite until you choose the saving location.

Answer 4

The root cause is the variable "Boolean1" was never used by the report. The variable "Boolean1" was not tied to the data item in the case statement. I created the variable "Boolean1" and forgot about it. I did not use the variable "Boolean1" in the report. I found the variable "Boolean1" and removed it. Now my validation of the report expressions works fine. I value your insights.