How to ... Standardize your Crystal Reports parameters and/or Crystal Reports parameter default values?

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When multiple reports share the same parameter options and/or parameter default values, i.e. you create a report for budgeting which contains a parameter called widget_sku that prompts for SKU of the widget and you’ve defined 20 different SKUs as part of the default values. You then needed a variation of this report, so you made a copy of it which means that the copy now also has a widget_sku parameter.

Some time has gone by and you need to change the 2 of the previously defined SKUs that were defined in the default values and add 15 more SKUs as part of the default values to the parameter widget_sku in both reports to ensure they both reflect the change.

Using the the Parameter Editor tool’s parameter editing capabilities to make the change(s) to your parameter options and/or default values and then using the standardize parameter capabilities is quick and easy.

1. Start by making change(s) to your parameter options and/or parameter default values as described in How to … Edit the Crystal Reports parameters and/or Crystal Reports parameter default values
2. Then in the Parameter Editor tool page, for step 1, in the Specify interaction to perform tick on Standardize
   
   
3. Not every report you selected on the main portal grid may contain a parameter. For the ones that do, in the left pane under step 2, they will be listed.
   
   
4. Navigate to the report which contains the source parameter (the one that contains the parameter options and/or default values that you’ll like to copy from) under the left pane under step 2, expand that report and select the source parameter
   a. only 1 source parameter can be selected at a time
   b. hover over the parameter to see a preview of its parameter prompting text
   
   
5. Now you need to specify the destination parameter(s) (the one(s) that you want to copy to) in the right pane under step 3.
   a. Here you can select multiple parameter(s). If you select the entire report, all of it’s parameters will automatically be selected.
   Note: You can only select destination parameters that match the same data type of the selected source parameter (i.e. if you select a date data type for source parameter, the destination parameter(s) must also be of data data type).
   b. By selecting the destination parameter(s), you are indicating that you want to overwrite their content with the content from the selected source parameter (see next step below to control whether to overwrite the both parameter options and default values or parameter options only or default values only).
   c. hover over the parameter to see a preview of its prompting text
   
   
6. Specify the overwrite behaviour to use for step 4:
   • Options Default Values
   • Options
   • Default Values
     
     
7. Once you’re satisfied with your selections, click Save Change(s) button. This is disabled until a source is selected and at least 1 destination is selected.