Index: trunk/ippTools/src/pxtools.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippTools/src/pxtools.c	(revision 25324)
+++ trunk/ippTools/src/pxtools.c	(revision 25835)
@@ -108,2 +108,71 @@
     return true;
 }
+
+// shared code for updating the various strings for a Run
+bool pxUpdateRun(pxConfig *config, psMetadata *where, psString *pQuery, bool has_dist_group)
+{
+    PS_ASSERT_PTR_NON_NULL(config, false);
+    PS_ASSERT_PTR_NON_NULL(where, false);
+    PS_ASSERT_PTR_NON_NULL(pQuery, false);
+    PS_ASSERT_PTR_NON_NULL(*pQuery, false);
+
+    // make sure that -state is not the only selection parameter
+    PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(where_state, config->args, "-state", false, false);
+    if (where_state && (psListLength(where->list) < 2)) {
+        psError(PXTOOLS_ERR_DATA, true, "selection by -state alone is not allowed");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(state, config->args,       "-set_state", false, false);
+    PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(label, config->args,       "-set_label", false, false);
+    PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(data_group, config->args,  "-set_data_group", false, false);
+    PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(note, config->args,        "-set_note", false, false);
+
+    psString dist_group = NULL;
+    if (has_dist_group) {
+        PXOPT_LOOKUP_STR(tmp_dist_group, config->args,  "-set_dist_group", false, false);
+        dist_group = tmp_dist_group;
+    }
+
+    if ((!state) && (!label) && (!data_group) && (has_dist_group && !dist_group) && !(note)) {
+        psError(PXTOOLS_ERR_DATA, false, "parameters are required");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (state && ! pxIsValidState(state)) {
+        psError(PXTOOLS_ERR_DATA, false, "pxIsValidState failed");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // first paramter is added with "SET param = 'value'"
+    // subseqent ones with ", param = 'value'"
+    char *separator = " SET ";
+    char *comma = ",";
+
+#   define addColumn(_val) \
+        do { \
+            if (_val) { \
+                psStringAppend(pQuery, "%s %s = '%s'", separator, #_val, _val); \
+                separator = comma; \
+            } \
+        } while (0)
+
+    addColumn(state);
+    addColumn(data_group);
+    if (has_dist_group) {
+        addColumn(dist_group);
+    }
+    addColumn(note);
+    addColumn(label);
+
+    psString whereClause =  psDBGenerateWhereSQL(where, NULL);
+    psStringAppend(pQuery, " %s", whereClause);
+    psFree(whereClause);
+
+    if (!p_psDBRunQuery(config->dbh, *pQuery)) {
+        psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "database error");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}