Passing NULL to DataSet parmameter

Hey All,

I have a number Stored Procs that have been around for a while that pull the entire list, or if I pass an ID, will just the record for that ID like below.

I want to be able to use these querries to poplate Multi-Select parameter dropdowns. going to the Data tab and creating a new dataset, I put in the SP name, and close the window. I then go to the Red ! point to preview the data it prompts me for my ID parmaeter on my SP. In the dropdown list it has '<Null>' (no ' though). When I run it, it works fine and returns all of my records.

When I run the report, it errors saying I didn't pass a parm for ID. I go back to the data tab, and edit my DataSet hitting the elipse. I go to the 3 tab called parameters, and type the following I get the following errors:

@.ID = <Null> - ERROR - [BC30201] Expression expected

@.ID= - ERROR - Return statement in function must return a value

@.ID = Null --ERROR - Null constant not supported use System.DBNull instead

@.ID = System.DBNull -ERROR - [BCS30691] DBNull is a type in System and cannot be used in an expression

@.ID=System.DBNull.Value NO ERROR, but it does not return anything either. I also did a SQL Trace, and I can see that it doesn't even send the querry to the database.

Does anyone know another magic value I can pass to get this to work?

I am being a little stuborn, I know that I could just create new procs, and wrap up the null, but the more stuff you create the more you have to maintain, so I would prefer to reuse these.

Thanks in advance.

Eric Wild

PS: My company is moving from crystal reports to Reporting service, and Reporting services is Rocks! It is very intuitve, simple and straign forward. The formatting is easy with the table and the matrix control blows away the crosstab control in crystal. Also, I'm finding that because crystal was so un extendable, that I would spend hours shaping sql to get over it's blemishes, and hours shaping it in the report, only to sometimes reliaze that the proposed onetime hack wouldn't work, and have to start all over! So far with RSS any tips and tricks I have learned can very easily be applied to any report I work on! Aslo, I do mostly interanet web apps, and it is nice to dump my reports on the Report Server, and not worry about haing to create a web page, create a datasource and all the ansilary stuff to go along with it. The only thing I don't like is the name 'Roporting Services': It does not stick out too far in Google Searches like 'AJAX.NET' or 'ASP.NET'. Anyway kudoes to the Reporting Services team!

ALTER PROC [dbo].[spGetLaborRole]
@.ID INT = NULL
AS
BEGIN
SELECT ID, Descr
FROM dbo.LaborRole
WHERE ( (ID = @.ID) OR (@.ID IS NULL) )

Hello Eric,

Can you verify that in your report parameter definition (Report menu --> Report Parameters), the 'Allow null values' checkbox is selected for your ID parameter?

Jarret

|||

Jarret,

That worked!

I guess I didn't see them as being related. I think of report parameters as things that communicate with the ouside world, and not related to my internl querrires. I wouldn't want a prompt to the end user showing ID: NULL to run the report. I can see though there is a hidden check so it not for end users. Cool thanks!

Here is steps on how to fix this.

1) go to the data tab and select the elipse. select the parameters tab and delete the @.ID=... stuff I put in and close Window.

2) Go to the Layout tab, and from the menu select Report/Report Parameters...

3) a new Parameter is in the list to the left callled ID.

-Check Allow Nulls

- Check Hidden

-Verify Default Value NULL is bubbled in below.

Thanks again

Eic Wild