Convenience filters

  

Convenience Filters are another way of filtering data in the Object Grid. They are the simplest type of filters to use, as they are applied simply by selecting the appropriate Object grid tab and double-clicking on an item in the C&T tree menu. However, not every variety of object can be filtered by any other variety of object; it depends on the inherent relationships between the two varieties of objects. In other words, cross-super category filters are defined only for certain pairs super categories.

 

For example, Equipment can be filtered by user because each equipment object has a list of associated users. However, Vendors cannot be filtered by Area because Vendors are not associated with any particular Area.
 

 

There are two different cases of cross-super category filters:

 

Direct References - a direct Filter reference is where the filter object selected in the Category and Type tree is directly assigned to an object in the Grid being filtered, for example:

Indirect References - an indirect Filter Reference is one that is indirectly assigned to an object but is assigned, by its association to a reference that is directly assigned to an object.

 

The following matrix shows what Category and Type tree entries can be used to apply a quick filter to the associated object grid tab. 

 

Convenience Filters created from C&T tree are numerous and diverse, which dictates the limitation of OR logic only to the filters of identical Supercategory. For example, OR will work if you try to filter by several Equipment Types, or Equipment Type Categories in any combination. But, if you add some Area/Area Category filters, OR logic will apply only between filters of that Supercategory. So, finally, the following filter will be applied:

(Equipment Type A OR Equipment Type B OR Equipment Type C) AND (Area D OR Area E)

 

User Filters that were created from Convenience Filters, and haven’t been modified yet. They inherit the Filter Group value from the original Convenience Filter. This allows such filters to act exactly like Convenience filters of the same group, and be compatible with them and between themselves for the purpose of OR logic.

 

Filters created by User directly, or by modifying Saved Convenience Filter, these should have unique filterGroup value, based on Filter’s ID. (I suggest “userCreatedFilter<id>” pattern). This way they won’t participate in any OR logic, which is what we want, since we can’t predict their behavior. Once Saved Convenience Filter is modified, it’s filterGroup should immediately change to follow the rule for User Created Filters, and the name should change from “<Filter Name> (Saved)” to “<Filter Name> (Edited)”, and stay that way. This is a one-way process, and User Created Filters can’t become Saved Convenience Filters.

Examples: