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MWFemboy10-Marble
10-Marble
February 24, 2026
Solved

Possible workaround for Report Builder dropdown with contexts in Windchill

  • February 24, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 120 views

Version: Windchill 13.0

 

Use Case: User wants to create a report using report builder, that allows to specify container, but by using dropdown, not by typing manually the container name. This behaviour is documented in case CS256206 and it seems nothing was done to provide the solution for that, so asking if anyone found workaround.


Description:

User wants to create a report using report builder, that allows to specify container, but by using dropdown, not by typing manually the container name. This behaviour is documented in case CS256206 and it seems nothing was done to provide the solution for that, so asking if anyone found workaround.

 

If report builder is not capable of doing something like this, then is there a way to prepare JSP input page that will have some kind of container picker and pass the information to actual query builder logic? I've seen some custom-input pages but they are really odd and difficult to understand.

 

 

 

Best answer by MWFemboy

This took way longer than I expected, but this was also because of work on other projects and other various frustrating and miserable things in the meantime. Anyway, here's a bit of PowerPoint presentation showing more or less how this can be done.

 

I don't go into deeper details, because I can't imagine anyone else needs something like this, but even if, I'm open to explain it if someone needs something like that. 

4 replies

avillanueva
23-Emerald I
avillanueva23-Emerald I
23-Emerald I
February 24, 2026

I think this is different than say drop down lists for LC states since those are cached as a resource in memory.  I do not think that this is possible with standard QML interface. There was a way in older systems to pass the current context as a parameter to the report such that if the report was executed from the current context, the current context was a filter on the output. 

Exposed reports do allow for an input page: https://support.ptc.com/help/windchill/r13.0.2.0/en/#page/Windchill_Help_Center/reportmgmt/ReportMgmtReportEdit.html

I think its possible (not sure off top of my head) to supply a custom JSP page as input. That page would render the drop down list for contexts that the user can select and pass the value as a parameter to a report. 

https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS356991?source=search

 

M
MWFemboy10-MarbleAuthor
10-Marble
February 25, 2026

Well, I've seen that sample input page, but it looks so 2003 that I don't think I can show that to the customer.

 

What I was looking for was something more like this Plan Status Report from the Planning folder in Reports page.

 

It also points to some custom JSP which even has picker for context, but to me it looks like one of these reports driven by awful Info-Engine tasks that I really don't want to do.

 

 

L
LewisLawrence13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
February 24, 2026

It is possible to use Macros to default values into the query builder input screen, but I am not aware of anyway to make that a list that is queried against objects like contexts. It is possible to combine Query Builder reports into Advanced searches though, so the context inputs could come from there.

https://support.ptc.com/help/windchill/cloud/r12.0.2.0/en/index.html#page/Windchill_Help_Center/LclSrchAdvancedSearchExampleReportTemplate.html

 

M
MWFemboy10-MarbleAuthor
10-Marble
February 25, 2026

Well, this would make sense only if we want to inject container from which user tries to execute the report, but that's not the case. It should really be a way to choose such context via picker or dropdown, so I'm afraid macro is simply not suitable.

L
LewisLawrence13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
February 26, 2026

I think you only have two options.

  1. Expose your report on the advanced search screen, train users how to use your report in combination with inputs for context/whatever on the advanced search. If you also distribute a suitably configured saved search this can be very effective, the advanced search return screen offers functionality the query builder does not.
  2. Add a custom input page to your report.
Marco Tosin
21-Topaz I
Marco Tosin21-Topaz I
21-Topaz I
February 27, 2026

The attributes of an object that can be selected from an enumerated list are presented in reports with the same list.

 

I don't know what numbers we are talking about with respect to the list of contexts, but a possible workaround is to also manage them as an additional attribute that can be chosen from an enumerated list.

 

 

Marco
M
MWFemboy10-MarbleAuthorAnswer
10-Marble
March 14, 2026

This took way longer than I expected, but this was also because of work on other projects and other various frustrating and miserable things in the meantime. Anyway, here's a bit of PowerPoint presentation showing more or less how this can be done.

 

I don't go into deeper details, because I can't imagine anyone else needs something like this, but even if, I'm open to explain it if someone needs something like that. 

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