How can I replace text in a resource string with a field value?

[brossow]

I am working on a report (using iReport Designer v.5.6.0) where I need to read the value of a key from a properties file (i.e. a resource) and replace certain strings within it with actual field values.  For example, if the following string is the resource value:

Thank you for your request for a QUOTE_TYPE quote for a new whirlygig.

I need to replace QUOTE_TYPE with the actual value of the field $F{Quote_Type}, so for example the output would be like this:

Thank you for your request for a budgetary quote for a new whirlygig.

I have tried the folllowing (and variations thereof) in the text field expression, but it only returns null:

$R{cover.letter.body.html}.replace("QUOTE_TYPE", $F{Quote_Type})

If I remove the '.replace....' portion of the expression, the string is read in and displays as expected, so it's not a matter of me messing up the resource.  If I replace the field $F{Quote_Type} with "TEST" it replaces the text in question appropriately, but I need to show the field value.  Suggestions?  Am I missing something obvious?  Ultimately there are a couple more strings in the same resource that I'll also need to replace, but I want to get one working first.  Clearly this is not my area of expertise.  Thanks in advance!

[brossow]

*sigh* As my luck usually goes, after giving up and posting the question, I've solved my own problem. The particular data I was testing against wasn't populating the Quote_Type field correctly.  Once the field was populated, the .replace function works exactly as expected.  Never mind....