Drop Down Parameters

Parameters are very powerful in that the data extracted from the database is dependent on a selection made by the user. For instance, as this tutorial demonstrates, information can be displayed by People of a given sex (Male/Female). This tutorial demonstrates how to create a parameter that will allow the user to choose the sex; Male, Female or Unspecified from a drop down list.

Bring up the field explorer by clicking the (insert fields) button on the standard tool bar. If it is not availible you can access it from the main menu by select Insert and then Field Object as shown below.
To create a parameter find right click on Parameter Fields: and select New...
In the dialog box enter the name for the Parameter, in this case Sex (you will utilize this in your criteria) and the prompting text (this will be the message displayed to the user). Locate the Set default values button and click it.
To add default values enter them in the "Select or enter value to add" text box, see below where Female has been entered and then click the button to move it to the Default Values list.

Another option is to select your default values from the database, in this particular case the values are in the PersonSex table. Note that in order to select values from a particular table that it (the table) must be part of your report. To achieve this Select Person Sex as the Browse table and then the field for Browse Field (in this case Label). After doing so the Select or enter value to add: list will be populated (See Female, Male and Unspecifed). Select the fields you wish to use (in this case all of them).
Below is how your dialog box should appear after you have selected your values. Click the OK button.
After clicking the OK button the original dialog box will appear, you should deselect "Allow editing of default values when there is more than one value" which in this case would be done since there is no other possibilities.
Click the OK button, and thats it!