# Param dropdown for group\_id in data explorer query
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** data-explorer, completed
**Created:** [February 2, 2023, 8:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883 "2023-02-02T20:03:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2023, 8:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/1 "2023-02-02T20:03:10Z")
I’d love to be able to specify something like this:
```plaintext
-- [params]
-- groups.id :group_id
```
to get a parameter input that’s a dropdown of groups. I’ve named the value `group_id` here because I assume that’s what such a dropdown would give me.
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/2 "2023-02-18T17:46:30Z")
I think this would be really useful too. 👍 Something like the existing `user_id` selectable parameter but for groups. Even better if it could accept multiple values. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/3 "2023-02-20T12:21:44Z")
> [@JammyDodger](#):
>
> the existing `user_id` selectable parameter
Wait, what?
Can you point me to where it shows how to use that?
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/4 "2023-02-20T12:44:16Z")
You can use something like:
```plaintext
-- [params]
-- user_id :user
SELECT *
FROM posts
WHERE user_id =:user
LIMIT 5
```
And that will bring up a dropdown where you can autocomplete in a user. 👍
However, I have just noticed that the first time you run it at the moment it errors and doesn’t bring up the parameter box, but does if you refresh the page. I shall see if I can get someone to check that out. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@pmusaraj](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pmusaraj)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/13 "2024-03-12T17:21:25Z")
Ask (and wait) and you shall receive… we just added support for a `:group_list` parameter in [this PR](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-data-explorer/pull/283).
Here is an example of the feature in use:
```plaintext
-- [params]
-- group_list :groups
SELECT g.id,g.name
FROM groups g
WHERE g.name IN (:groups)
ORDER BY g.name ASC
```
That should give you the following in the UI:
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/14 "2024-03-12T17:22:46Z")
This looks great. 🤩 I’m already looking forward to putting this into action. 🚀
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/17 "2024-03-18T17:49:42Z")
[My topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/wishlist-param-dropdown-for-data-explorer-query/253883) got closed before I could reply to it…
Is there a way to limit the new `-- group_list` parameter type to a single group? I’ve subbed it into our existing reports, but they’re all written expecting a simgle group name and in testing I found myself flubbing it fairly frequently.
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/18 "2024-03-18T18:05:29Z")
I’ve reopened and slipped it over. 👍
Though I’m not sure what you mean? Can you give an example of what the issue is?
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 6:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/19 "2024-03-18T18:18:27Z")
I mean that I run the query for my first group. Then when I want to _switch_ groups, I add a group instead → error
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/20 "2024-03-18T18:25:08Z")
Oooh. That’s an interesting one. I’ve been using it more like:
```sql
WHERE g.name IN (:groups)
```
> **Hiding a little bit of Jammy Stupid**
>
> ```sql
>
> WHERE g.id IN (:groups)
>
> ```
Though this would still allow you to accidentally put more than one in even though you’d avoid the error. 🤔
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/21 "2024-03-18T18:30:03Z")
I’d rather have the error than a random selection from the list 🙂
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/22 "2024-03-18T18:32:59Z")
To be honest, I’ve just checked that and I think I must have dreamt using it for group\_ids as it does not like that at all. I shall strike that from the record. 🙂 No idea where I’ve got that idea from. I could’ve sworn I used it just the other day. :derp:
---
### Author:  [@ganncamp](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ganncamp)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/23 "2024-03-18T18:41:57Z")
BTW, I completely neglected to say:
This is fabulous!!! 🎊 Thank you!!! 🎉
---
### Author:  [@pmusaraj](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pmusaraj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/25 "2024-03-18T19:12:41Z")
> [@ganncamp](#):
>
> Is there a way to limit the new `-- group_list` parameter type to a single group?
No, there’s no way to limit it to a single group. Not that I know of.
The parameter from `group_list` will be an array if there is more than 1 item selected and a string if only 1 item is selected.
So when there is just one item, you _can_ do this:
```plaintext
-- [params]
-- group_list :groups
SELECT g.id,g.name
FROM groups g
WHERE g.name = :groups
ORDER BY g.name ASC
```
But since it’s an array, this below will work for both a single item and multiples:
```plaintext
-- [params]
-- group_list :groups
SELECT g.id,g.name
FROM groups g
WHERE g.name IN (:groups)
ORDER BY g.name ASC
```
But there is no way to tell the UI “only accept 1 item as the selection”.
---
### Author:  [@nat](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nat)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/28 "2024-08-02T13:21:04Z")
@saradev’s docs here [Using Parameters in Data Explorer Queries](https://meta.discourse.org/t/utilizing-parameters-in-data-explorer-queries/277934) highlights the full list of params for [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) that sometimes have a dropdown, and sometimes do not. ([Parameter list on Github](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-data-explorer/blob/6aca7f1ae42bd7c1880e91c136ed99babc146d2e/lib/discourse_data_explorer/parameter.rb#L42-L64))
Here’s a table of params, also indicating if it has a specific control for it.
| param | dropdown available |
| --- | --- |
| int | ✅ |
| bigint | ✅ |
| boolean | ✅ |
| null boolean | ✅ |
| string | ✅ |
| date | |
| time | |
| datetime | |
| double | ✅ |
| user\_id | ✅ |
| post\_id | |
| topic\_id | |
| string\_list | |
| category\_id | |
| group\_id | |
| int\_list | |
| string\_list | |
| user\_list | ✅ |
| group\_list | ✅ |
Ideally the dropdowns used and shown in [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) would have similar look and feel as the core app. Let us figure out how we can do this.
---
### Author:  [@Lhc\_fl](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lhc_fl)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2024, 5:27am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/40 "2024-08-27T05:27:39Z")
We recently redesigned the entire param input box. Most types have their own drop-down boxes and support validation with semantic error prompts now. :chefs_kiss:
Here’s the latest table of params indicating if it has a specific control for it.
| param | dropdown available |
| --- | --- |
| int | ✅ |
| bigint | ✅ |
| boolean | ✅ |
| null boolean | ✅ |
| string | ✅ |
| date | ✅ |
| time | ✅ |
| datetime | ✅ |
| double | ✅ |
| user\_id | ✅ |
| post\_id | |
| topic\_id | |
| category\_id | ✅ |
| group\_id | ✅ |
| int\_list | |
| string\_list | |
| user\_list | ✅ |
| group\_list | ✅ |
@ganncamp You might want to know about this change 😉
---
### Author:  [@jordan-violet](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jordan-violet)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/41 "2025-04-17T19:35:04Z")
Can you explain how these dropdowns work? For the life of me I have not been able to get a dropdown where I can define a list of strings available in that dropdown.
---
### Author:  [@nat](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nat)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2025, 4:23am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/param-dropdown-for-group-id-in-data-explorer-query/253883/42 "2025-06-05T04:23:41Z")
@jordan-violet a late response, but @SaraDev did a writeup here on available parameters, and the OP had been updated by Linca:
> [@Using Parameters in Data Explorer Queries](https://meta.discourse.org/t/utilizing-parameters-in-data-explorer-queries/277934):
>
> Parameters are a powerful tool that can be used in [Data Explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566) queries on Discourse. Parameters allow for more dynamic and customizable queries, and instead of hard-coding values in your queries, you can declare variables that will prompt for input when the query is run. Declaring a Parameter To declare a parameter, you can use the following syntax: -- [params] -- int :parameter\_name = 10 The parameter’s section of the query will always start with -- [params], followed by each type of par…