Tips for working with filters

Setting filter favorites already in the definition mask

Regardless of the filter management, you can mark a filter that you are currently defining as a favorite already in the definition mask.

Searching numeric fields

For numeric fields, you can enter values with comparison operators an combine it with AND or OR to find delta values.

Combining search entries in several fields with OR

Search entries in several fields are automatically combined with AND. If you want to OR-link search entries in any number of fields instead, set the OR attribute for all these fields.

Example: Find all addresses in the ZIP range 10 and/or in Berlin. Zip code and city are saved in different fields:

  1. From the field choice choose under Addresses (extended) the field Zip code (nimerical) and enter with the operators > 1000 UND <= 10999 .
  2. For the field City enter behind with some of the words... Berlin .
  3. Store the condition into the search list (green check mark).
  4. The AND attribute is set automatically.
  5. Click Count or Query.
  6. Fo an OR search click on the AND attribute to switch it to OR.
  7. Click Count or Query.

Searching text fields

You can enter search words in only one of the input fields. Each input field may contain several search words, separated by blanks.

Searching for words containing an ß character causes all words containing ß or ss to be found.

Note: If you provide a field with the search restriction without the words…, only records with a value in this field (not matching an excluded word) are delivered. Records for which this field is empty are not added to the result set.

Searching logical fields

Logical fields are either set, not set, or undefined (blank). You can search for every combination of these conditions: apply to (yes); not apply to (no).

Searching date fields

Date fields can be searched for any time periods with exact start and end times as well as for any calendar periods.

Depending on the selected type-specific entry (from..., from beginning ..., within ... etc.), the appropriate extension is offered in the dialog for entering a value.

Input field

Remarks

from ...
until ...

 

Using the calendar control, you can choose the exact date and time. If the format of the search field is limited to the date, the time is set so as to include the full start day or end day in the period. If one of the fields is blank, the period is open.

in the last...
in the next...

A multiple of the selected time unit is always used to form the search entry. The exact limits of the time period depend on the selected time unit:

Days, weeks, months, years: The period ends or begins with the current day. The current day is included completely.

Minutes, hours: The period ends or begins to the second at the current time.

today

today includes the day completely.

Note: When looking for periods, the CRM always uses the local time of the client computer. If filters are managed centrally and clients are distributed worldwide, the search results may may be different in different places.

Searching BLOB fields

BLOB fields contain names referring to records in the BLOB table. You can search for these names just like you would do for content in a text field. The actual BLOB content (e.g. text in checked-in Word files) cannot be searched here.

Example of a search in system fields

"Find all contact data records that have been modified in the last two weeks":

  1. Open the Contacts overview list and then an empty filter form.
  2. Select in the Field choice from the yellow System data folder the field Change date.
  3. Enter in the last 2 weeks.
  4. Query for the the result.

Searching for depending data

1:n relations

A 1:n relation is the most common relation type. In a 1:n relation, several data records in table T1 can be assigned to one data record of table T2. A data record in table T2, however, is never assigned to more than one data record in table T1.

Example: Find all contacts that are involved in a case as competitors:

  1. Open the Contacts overview list, and then an empty filter form.
  2. In the Field choice, expand Contact in projects and then Project contact roles, and choose Contact role.
  3. On the right, after with some of the words…, enter the search term Competitor.
  4. Click Count or Query.
1:1 relations

In a 1:1 relation, every data record in table T1 is assigned to only one matching data record in T2, and vice versa. This type of relation is not very common. It is used, for example, to split a table with many fields or to separate a part of a table for reasons of access permissions.

Searching for properties

  • The node for searching for properties allows a two-stage search for a property and its value (characteristic) in the filter.
  • If needed, you can filter by values (set the flag), and additionally specify a value.
  • If no values are present, you can also filter by a characteristic only, regardless of whether a value exists for the characteristic (deactivate the flag).

Searching for contact relations

Extensive filter enhancements for the contact search make it easier to find companies and processes that involve a person X with the position or role Y. There are special node folders in the field selection tree for this purpose.

  • With contacts: red node "with contacts relation", blue node "relation/role"
  • With cases: red nodes "companies in cases"; "companies in projects"; blue nodes "role"

The filter checks bidirectionally, no matter how the relation was created. Furthermore, you can directly select the desired role or position.

Info

Admin: A callback to the underlying DTO is executed, and the selector descriptor is returned.

Adding contacts to an ad hoc-list

Using the “Add contacts in ad hoc-list” function in the case list, search results can be optimally processed for target group selections. The function extracts contacts with specific roles from a case result set and passes them to an ad-hoc list.

Example:

  1. Filter: "Find all cases in which person X has the role Y".
  2. Extraction of the customers from the result set, and transfer to an ad hoc list.

Printing an Excel list with individual data fields

If you would like to print an overview (list) of records as an Excel sheet, you can specify the fields to be printed. See Filter results list for details.