Report Desk: SELECT Statement Errors Using Alternate Table Names

Report Desk: SELECT Statement Errors Using Alternate Table Names

Release Date: 4/24/2025
Versions: Elliott v8.6 and up

The Problem

When the SELECT statement in the SQL Template uses alternate table names in join statements, an error may occur during the running of the report:
      [SQL Engine] Error in expression: ATTRIB_AMT_1

In order to join the same table (SYATTRIB) one or more times, an alternate table name ,TAXDS, is used in the JOIN.  Unfortunately, this causes the generated SQL SELECT statement, below, to have the above error:
  1. SELECT ORDER_CUSTOMER_NO, ORDER_SHIP_TO_NO, ORDER_SHIP_TO_NAME, ORDER_SHIP_TO_CITY, ORDER_SHIP_TO_ST, ORDER_SHIP_TO_ZIPCD, CUS_TP, CUS_TXBL_FG, ORDER_NO, ORDER_DATE, ORDER_TOTAL_SALE_AMT, ATTRIB_AMT_1, ATTRIB_AMT_2 FROM SYATTRIB

    LEFT JOIN CPORDHDR ON ORDER_NO = SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_REF_NUMBER

    LEFT JOIN ARCUSFIL ON CUS_NO = ORDER_CUSTOMER_NO

    LEFT JOIN SYATTRIB TAXDS ON TAXDS.ATTRIB_FILENAME = 'CPORDHDR' AND TAXDS.ATTRIB_REF_NUMBER = SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_REF_NUMBER AND TAXDS.ATTRIB_CODE = '_AVATAXDS'     

    WHERE SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_FILENAME = 'CPORDHDR'  AND SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_CODE = '_AVATAXSNAPSHOT' AND SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_CHKBOX_2 = 'Y'            

    ORDER BY CPORDHDR.ORDER_CUSTOMER_NO ASC         , CPORDHDR.ORDER_NO ASC

The bold column names above (ATTRIB_AMT_1 and ATTRIB_AMT_2) need to be generated with their alternate table names (TAXDS.ATTRIB_AMT_1 and TAXDS.ATTRIB_AMT_2).

The Workaround

Fortunately, there is a simple workaround.  Simply check the box as shown below and Save the template. 
Note that the following illustration is for a different report, just to show the location of the checkbox.


This will result in the correct syntax for the generated SELECT statement:
  1. SELECT ORDER_CUSTOMER_NO, ORDER_SHIP_TO_NO, ORDER_SHIP_TO_NAME, ORDER_SHIP_TO_CITY, ORDER_SHIP_TO_ST, ORDER_SHIP_TO_ZIPCD, CUS_TP, CUS_TXBL_FG, ORDER_NO, ORDER_DATE, ORDER_TOTAL_SALE_AMT, TAXDS.ATTRIB_AMT_1, TAXDS.ATTRIB_AMT_2 FROM SYATTRIB

    LEFT JOIN CPORDHDR ON ORDER_NO = SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_REF_NUMBER

    LEFT JOIN ARCUSFIL ON CUS_NO = ORDER_CUSTOMER_NO

    LEFT JOIN SYATTRIB TAXDS ON TAXDS.ATTRIB_FILENAME = 'CPORDHDR' AND TAXDS.ATTRIB_REF_NUMBER = SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_REF_NUMBER AND TAXDS.ATTRIB_CODE = '_AVATAXDS'     

    WHERE SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_FILENAME = 'CPORDHDR'  AND SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_CODE = '_AVATAXSNAPSHOT' AND SYATTRIB.ATTRIB_CHKBOX_2 = 'Y'            

    ORDER BY CPORDHDR.ORDER_CUSTOMER_NO ASC         , CPORDHDR.ORDER_NO ASC


Author: JEG
Program: UDRDesign

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