The Data filter is used extensively throughout the application. This article will provide an insight in to how it works and how you can use it in your business.
Data filters help you filter data based off one or more rules within a single data filter. These rules can be linked together with conditions (AND / OR) to create complex filters.
These data filters are used throughout the application and the fields your can filter on are customised to the area you are working on. Making further fields available to a data filter only a request. These are updated regularly as clients create more and more filters to implement their business processes.
The screen is made up of the following information:
The top box shows the rules that have been added. They can also be manually modified here.
The bottom section allows you to step by step create rules in a 3 step process.
Select the field you require to make a rule against and click
Select how you would like to check the above selected field. Options include:
Operator | Short Display Name | Description | Example | Syntax |
Equal | = | The comparable value is the same | Tom is equal tom | CustomerContact = 'tom' |
Not Equal | != | The comparable value is NOT the same | Bill is not equal tom | CustomerContact != 'bill' |
Starts With Text | startswith | The selected field's value starts with a comparable text. | Tom's Hardware start with text tom | CustomerNameClient startswith 'tom' |
Ends With Text | endswith | The selected field's value ends with a comparable text. | Tom's Hardware ends with text ware | CustomerNameClient endswith 'tom' |
Contains Text | contains | The selected field's value contains comparable text. | Tom's Hardware contains hard | CustomerNameClient contains 'hard' |
Does Not Contain Text | notcontains | The selected fields value does NOT contains comparable text. | Tom's Hardware does not contain wire | CustomerNameClient notcontains 'wire' |
In List | in | Enables you to select one or more values. The selected fields value are one of the comparable fields. | Tom's Hardware In List Tom's Hardware, Bills Wire, Jarrod's Rivots | CustomerNameClient in ('Tom\'s Hardware,Bills Wire,Jarrod\'s Rivots')
|
Not In List | notin | Enables you to select one or more values. The selected fields value are NOT one of the comparable fields. | Tom's Hardware Not In List Bills Wire, Jarrod's Rivots, Peter's Pizza's | CustomerNameClient notin ('Bills Wire,Jarrod\'s Rivots,Peter's Pizza\'s') |
Greater Than | > | The selected field's value is greater than a comparable number | 8 is greater than 5 | ItemLength1 > 5 |
Greater Than or Equal | >= | The selected field's value is greater than or equal to a comparable number. | 5 is greater than or equal to 5 | ItemLength1 >= 5 |
Less Than | < | The selected field's value is less than a comparable number | 5 is less than 8 | ItemLength1 < 8 |
Less Than or Equal | <= | The selected field's value is less than or equal to a comparable number. | 5 is less than or equal to 5 | ItemLength1 <= 5 |
In Range | inrange | The selected field's value is in the range of a set of numbers. | 5 is in range of 1-10 | RecievePostcode inrange ('2000-2400') |
Enter or Select the comparable value.
Repeat this process as many times as required to refine and define your filtering.
The accumulation of your rules are displayed in a box above the rule creation. This area can be manually edited to further refine the rules.
The rule generator makes some educated assumptions about the rules your creating based on the data in the rules your inserting, This may not always be correct, so its worth understanding how the rule logic works.
There are 2 basic rule conditions and brackets to work with. They are AND and OR. The brackets encapsulate a set of conditions.
As an example, we have 2 Customers that require to have SMS Notifications sent to the receiver when a consignment is onboard for delivery.
( CustomerNameClient = 'Faster Delivery Service' or
CustomerNameClient = 'Quick Transport' ) and
ConsignmentStatusName = 'OnDelivery' and
AdditionalService = 'SMS Comms'
The above rule can be read as;
Where the CustomerNameClient is "Faster Delivery Service" OR "Quick Transport"
AND ConsignmentStatusName is 'OnDelivery'
AND Additional Service is 'SMS Comms'
All three lines conditions MUST be met for this rule to find match any consignments to send an SMS.
Special Considerations
If there are comma's or apostrophes it MUST be manually escaped with a "\". This mean any time you have an test that contains a value similar to this - Tom's, Jill's and Bob's Hardware - it will need to be changed to - Tom\'s\, Jill\'s and Bob\'s Hardware.