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RecordSet & Prompting Filter

When you first create a new report, you only work with a sample dataset of approximately 100 records. This allows you to quickly design a report and dynamically see your results immediately after every entry you make. After you design the report the way you want it with the sample recordset, you click on the RecordSet Filter tab and query the actual records you want.

The RecordSet Filter tab enables you to filter your records to place into the report format you designed under the Report Definition tab.

1) First choose a Field Description. *Note: The And/Or column doesn't need an entry for the first row.
2) Next choose an operation in the Operation field.
3) Last enter the value(s) that meets your intended outcome.

Note 1: You do not need to enter a value when you use Null type operators. Null implies the value can only be empty or blank or vice versa.

Note 2: Click on the button [...] in the "?" column and a help wizard comes up to help you fill in values or get unique values for that row.

If you need more than one criteria, then enter a second row and join it to the first row criteria by choosing (+ And/And/Or/New Query) from the first column. The example above has 3 criteria. One for each row.

Note: The difference between connectors "+ And" and "And" under the And/Or column is that "+ And" is only added to the previous line item. "And" is added to all prior line items for that query. The "New Query" option starts a brand new query and appends these records (excluding duplicates) to any other filters designed for this report.

Here's how the filter example above is interpreted. This query will go out and get data that meets the following attributes:

1) The values in the [Due Date] field can not be empty or null.
2) And the [Order Date] field must be between 1/1/1998 and 12/31/2002.
3) And the [TermColor] field must be either green or yellow.

Records that have all of these attributes for the same record will be included in the report.

Drill-Down Tally has two wizards to help you fill out between values and list values. In the example below, we have a Order Date between 1/1/98 and 12/31/02. The "?" column (last column to the right) is a help column for the highlighted row. The column is there to help you enter criteria into the Value column.

In the example above, click on the button [...] in the "?" column and a help wizard comes up. Below is a Between operator help wizard to enter beginning and ending values for it.

We also have a wizard to help you fill out a list of values (i.e. Has Values Of, Not Values Of). Below is an example of the help wizard that pops up for operators that request a list of values.

When you click [OK], you will notice an entry made to the Value column of the third row in the example above.

How to use the Prompting Filter:
An alternative filter mechanism was added in version 2006 called the Prompting Filter. The Prompting filter is a more dynamic way to get user input to filter data. You can use prompting filter(s) in the RecordSet and Totals Filter with the following notation [>...<]. Replace the ... with the question you want to ask the user to input. Notice the example below with [>Enter A Term Color<] in the value column.

When you click the [Query] button to get the data, Drill-Down Tally will now prompt you for the value like the screen below. Select a value from the list and click [OK] to continue.

A great example when to use the prompting filter is when you turn on Drill-Down Tally's AutoRun feature. When you open the report with AutoRun option set to True and you have a prompting filter set, Drill-Down Tally will automatically ask the user the question before displaying the results. Making it easier and faster to get the results you need in an expedited fashion.

You could also select records that are based on a data comparison of two fields. You may want records where the Ship Date is greater than the Due Date. The following example is how you would enter it into the RecordSet Filter.

For advanced users:
You can create a complex field description that returns either True or False. This is for more advanced users that can write their own complex WHERE statements in one field description like this:
( (([Due Date] = [Order Date]) AND ([Order Date] = Date())) OR ([Status] = 'Ordered') )
Make sure you place the open ( and closed ) around the whole expression.
Example: ( insert your complex expression here )
Set the Operator column to: Equals
To set the Value column for the complex expression equal to True enter: -1
To set the Value column for the complex expression equal to False enter: 0

Ready to Query
After you enter the criteria for the records you want, click on the [Query] button to have Drill-Down Tally retrieve the data. Once the data is retrieved, the Drill-Down Tally grid will reflect the filtered records*. After looking over the records in the Drill-Down tab, you can make any column adjustments to the grid prior to clicking on the Print Preview tab to see the final report(s). One of the coolest features of Drill-Down Tally is that it automatically creates two reports. One report for the first group level and another for all levels of your drill-down grid.

*If you have the Demo version installed on your computer the program will randomly replace some values with a 'x' or -9 on the printed report. When you purchase Drill-Down Tally training or license key for your computer the program will show all values in the grid and the printed reports.

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