PowerPlus question: Linking/Lookups

[jmiskey]

I am writing a report for PowerPlus in Report Writer 10.0. My master table is PPCOMGR.dbf. From there I am trying to do lookups into the PPFSAER.dbf for each group in PPCOMGR. ____The problem I have is figuring how to create the link to do a lookup into the PPFSAER.dbf. The index field in PPFSAER is Tax ID (PPFSERID), but tax ID is not stored in PPCOMGR. ____Ideally, I would like to connect using the Sub Directory ID (PPCOMDIR)from PPCOMGR. I know how to create the database and index needed to use in the DLOOKUP function, but can figure out what to do about the linking field.____Has anyone figured out a way to do this?____Thanks

[kfleming]

You can build a flexlink index for a relation in R&R. As long as there is common data in the two tables you are trying to relate, Flexlink should be able to get you there along with the possible need to build a calculated field using fields the From table.______Kathleen__R&R Support

[jmiskey]

Well, there really isn^t common data between these two fields. I just need to pull information from the first record in the table I am trying to link to. Here is a simplified example.____In PPCOMGR, the first record has a value of "PPDB0001" for the PPCOMDIR field. What I want to do then, is return a value from the first record in database file found at R:PPLUSPPDB0001PPFSAER.dbf.____So essentially, the PPCOMDIR value is telling me the subdirectory under the PPLUS directory to look into. Under there, always look into the PPFSAER.dbf database file.____Continue on for all values of PPCOMDIR (PPDB0002, PPDB0003,...)____Is that possible?

[jmiskey]

Any ideas?

[kfleming]

A lookup calc is indeed what you need however to use the lookup functions, you do need to have a index available for the related table. Although you can build a relation in R&R that is based on the record number from the related table, there is no similar provision in the lookup functions.____A very roundabout way to get this to work would be to build an export report that would export the first record from each table and then use RapidRunner to consolidate those exports into a single file. You could then add this consolidated export DBF via a relation in the original report. Its a bit time consuming to set up but would indeed work.____Kathleen__R&R Support