Does Anything In The Microsoft Universe Suck WORSE Than Their Idea Of Parameters?

I have a simple report.



I want the user to pick a year and month (or a year-month), enter a integer for the number of months to review, and display a report from that year-month to the selected year-month.



I'm using MDX so I tried the LAG function. In order to use the lag function with a parameter you have to define a parameter in the data set. In order to define a parameter in the dataset you have to use an existing dimenstion. I don't have a dimenstion for "number of months to roll back" so I pick a dimenstion at random. Of course now I can't use the parameter I created because RS thinks it's not an integer. You'd think RS would give you the ability to define the parameter type in the data set. Naw....Microsoft knows better. You can define the Report Parameter data type but, naturally, that doesn't apply.



So I can't use the LAG function - you know - the easiest way to accomplish the report.



So I'll create an inclusive range parameter in my dataset using year-month. The user can select the "to" year-month and I'll write a custom code snippet to subtract the rollback months and create the "from" year-month. I can do this without much problem and it works fine in a text box in the report body. Naturally, now that I WANT the "from" parameter to reset whenever the "to" parameter changes (which is above it in the parameter list) - it doesn't.



I guess I can try putting the simple report into a subreport and passing it the parameters I've created. It seems to be a LONG, LONG and VERY winding road to accomplish a simple task.



Thanks Microsoft!