SSRS drop down multi-value parameter able to be searched

Question

I have a query populated drop down multi-select parameter in SSRS Visual Studio 2008. I am wondering if there is way for my user to 'type' in a value that is in my multi select parameter. I was wondering if the list could be 'searched'

For example,

If I have a parameter with the values 'Hi' 'Hello' 'This' 'That'

And my user wants to select 'Hi' and 'This' they would like to be able to type 'Hi' and 'This' and those values be selected rather than scrolling through the whole list (my actual list is a list of hundreds of words so scrolling takes time)

I'm not sure if this is possible at all!

Any help and/or suggestions are appreciated!

Answer 1

Here is how I would do this:

1. Create a separate parameter, let's call it 'Search' for this example. Make sure the Search parameter is higher than your multi-select parameter since it will be used to update your multi-select parameter's default values and available values query. Have the user enter his values into this parameter.
2. Create a new query like your original multi-select parameter query, only on this one, pass the Search parameter and limit the results to values matching the Search parameter. Make sure to sort the values in your query. This will make sense in the next step.
3. Update your multi-select parameter's default values to the results of this new query.
4. Pass the Search parameter to your multi-select query and modify the query to sort by the Search parameter values first. If the values returned by the step 2 query are not sorted the same as those in your multi-select query, this won't work. Also, this will bump the selected values to the top of your multi-select query so the user will know his Search entries got a hit on your list.

Let me know if you need any assistance with the SQL on this.