Defining Conditions and Filters

Note: Although you add conditions and filters to a document in the same way, there are differences in how they restrict document data. See Understanding the difference between filters and conditions.

You may decide that you don't want to include all the data in a document. Applying conditions or filters to queries allows you to include only the data you need.

The following illustrations show how a condition or filter works.

A condition or filter can also affect calculations. For example, the total number of guests for all resorts changes when you apply a condition to the Resort object.

For more information about using conditions, see:

• Applying conditions or filters to an object
• Deleting a condition
• Combining conditions

Understanding the Difference Between Filters and Conditions

The Conditions tab is divided into two sections: Query Conditions and Document Filters.

Note: If you don't see both of these sections when you open the Conditions tab in the ActiveX Web Panel, double-click the section header that's visible. The other appears immediately.
Once they're both visible, you can collapse and expand either of these sections simply by double-clicking it.

The major difference between query conditions and document filters is that a condition is applied to the query and limits the data retrieved from the database, whereas the filter is applied to the data in the document to hide information and display only the information that you want to appear.

Example Using a condition

You are building a query containing the following objects:

• Resort
• Service Line
• Revenue

Additionally, you apply the pre-defined condition Hawaiian resort, and you run the query.

The result is a table containing the data for the revenue for all the service lines for the Hawaiian resort, only. No data for any other resort has been retrieved form the database.

Now you want to send the document to another user, but that user does not have user rights to query the database. The recipient will only be able to edit the information you have retrieved from the database. They will not be able to drill on the document to access more detailed data or drill up to view the sales figures for the other resorts in the database.

Example Using a filter

You have received a document from another user, but your access rights don't allow you to query the database. You are then restricted to working with the data that was originally retrieved from the database.

The document you received displays the prompts for Resort, Service Line, and Quarter. You want to view the revenue for accommodation only, so you scroll through the Service Line prompt list and select Accommodation. A new table is displayed in the document. It shows the revenue that accommodation generated for the Hawaiian resort.

If you return to the Conditions tab in the Web panel, you would see that a filter for the Service Line was automatically added. Data for the other service lines has been filtered out, but it is still stored as part of the document.