TARGET Reports supports a unique feature called variable connectivity. Once
two or more variables are connected, they always have the same value. Reporting
elements contain four variables that are available for connectivity: Input Data
Source, Dictionary, Scope and Output Data Source. Let's imagine that your
reporting document has multiple reporting elements, which get data from the same
data source. Connect all those elements by their Input Data Source variables
and, when time comes to switch to another data source, changing the data source
for one element changes it for all. Another sample to consider is saving
reporting results into a database table. Connect the Output Data Source for one
reporting element to the Input Data Source of another reporting element and now
you are able to use the reporting results from the first reporting element in
the second for further reporting.
Click the Display Connectivity Editor button ( ) on the toolbar or use the
"View" main menu item to launch the connectivity editor.
Two tree panes (I and II) allow you to select variables to be connected. Pane
III visualizes all connections for a selected variable.
 - Show all connections
including the blocked ones.
 - Establish a
bi-directional (<->) connection between two highlighted variables. Only
variables of the same type can be connected. Having several variables connected
to each other bi-directionally forces any change to one of the variables to be
applied to all of the connected variables.
 - Establish a
directional (->) connection between two highlighted variables. For the
connection V1 -> V2 any change to V1 will applied to V2, but changes to V2
will have no affect on V1.
 - Establish a
directional (<-) connection between two highlighted variables. Same as but in the other
direction.
 - Block a connection
between two highlighted variables. This operation is useful for the following
case: connect V1 to V2 and then connect V2 to V3. As a result, V3 gets
indirectly connected to V1. If you do not want this to happen, you can block
the V1 to V3 connection.
 - Disconnect the
highlighted variable.
Related Sections
User Interface
Report Element
Property Editors | 