Filter allows you to specify search conditions and also save the set of conditions for future use. Good filtering capability is seen as the core of effective analytics that helps retrieve accurate data.
You can use filters across the Higher Education Foundation to effectively manage student progression. For example, you can create Contact, Target, and Campaign filters that enable you to monitor and track campaign progression.
Filters also help find properties within messages, canned responses, and mailers.
Note: You can also choose to create filters within Rules that help specifically determine an event, trigger, and action. Filter conditions are created within Rules from the Business Administrator module.
By default, a specific set of search conditions is defined for every user, and is saved as the Default Filter. This default filter is configured by your administrator, based on your permissions, roles, and team access.
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Example You can create a Filter that you can use to locate all Open Interactions that were created in the last 7 days. This can be saved as a Filter and run every time you want to locate such items. |
Filter Dependencies
Filters are specific to Users and Workspaces. The Filters you create will be available only to you unless you copy them to other Users. Similarly, a Filter created for a Table View in a Workspace will be available only in that Workspace unless you copy it to other Workspaces based on the selected Object.
You can perform the following operations on Filters in Talisma:
• Set a Filter as the Default Filter.
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Note It is recommended that you do not run Filters without conditions. Running a blank Filter can have a serious impact on the performance of Talisma. |
Creating Filter Expressions
Permissions Required:
• Manage Filter: Create, Save, Edit, Copy filters to other teams and users
• Copy Filters to other Users: Copy filters to other teams and users
• Copy Filters to other users and Copy Workspace: Copy a workspace and the filters associated with it to other users
Filters are a result of saved search conditions (or expressions), which help you avoid repetitive entry of the same search conditions. Filters are specific to users and workspaces.
When you create a filter, you are creating rows of search conditions, where each row is called an expression.
To Create Filter Expressions
1. On the left pane of the object Table view, click 
.
The Advanced Search page is displayed.
When creating expressions, each column in the table requires specific information. These columns are described here:
| Advanced Search Conditions | Description |
|---|---|
| Object | From the dropdown list, select the required object. For example, Contact or Lead. |
| Field | From the dropdown list, select the required property (a specific field, for example, Category, Code, or Status). |
| Operator |
This value defines how and when you want the search to be performed. Select an appropriate operator. Note: The operator that you can select from the list, depends on the type of the field (property type) that you select. For example: • Date type of field provides: on, in, on or before, on or after, and null • Text type of field provides: =, Starts with, Ends with, Contains, Does not contain, is null • Comparison type of field provides: =, >, >=, <, <=, <>, in null |
| Value | This column is populated with values that are dependent on the operator that you select. Choose the required value from this list. |
| And/Or |
If you are adding more rows to the expression, select And to specify that the search results must match the conditions on the current row as well as the conditions on subsequent rows. Select Or to specify that the search results must match one of the expressions (conditions specified on any one row). |
2. Click anywhere inside the next row, to insert an additional row of conditions.
3. Enter an appropriate name for the new filter, in the Filter Name field.
4. Click Save.
To execute this filter, click Run. Records matching the search expressions are displayed in the Results area.
Grouping Filter Expressions
Grouping of filter expressions is an effective option that can yield very specific and granular search results. Grouping is very specific to an individual search and the property structure in your system.
Typically, grouping is used when searching for RecordLists, where there are multiple object relationships involved. It is also useful when you want to combine some filter expressions with different operators for the same object with filter expressions having different operators for a different object.
Consider the following example:
You are attempting to search for interactions, and have created the following expressions:
• Interaction object that is based on the Subject field, containing the value "registration"; with an "Or" operator
• Interaction object that is based on the Subject field, containing the value "transcript"; with an "And" operator
• Contact object that is based on the State field, having the value "Florida"; with an "And" operator
In this scenario, you can use the grouping option to effectively manage your filters, and in turn, the results by grouping the first two expressions.
When you group the two expressions, you are effectively stating that the system must now search for the following:
All interactions with the subject line containing registration OR transcript for all contacts that reside in the state of Florida.
Using Wildcard Characters in Your Expressions
You can use wildcard characters in your filter conditions when you only know only a portion of the search criteria value, but not the entire value.
For example, you need to search for interactions corresponding to a contact whose first name is Tom or maybe Dom. You are not entirely sure of the first name.
In this example, you create two expressions that are similar to the following:
• Interaction object that is based on the Subject field, containing the value "registration"; with an "And" operator
• Contact object that is based on the First Name field, having(=) the value "_om"; with an "And" operator
Here, you are using the wildcard character, which is an underscore (_) and specifying the last two letters of the contact's first name.
Note: The underscore character is used when you want to replace the wildcard character with only ONE character. In the above example, the system replaces '_' with T and D when it retrieves the results.
If you want to replace multiple characters, then you use the % (percent) wildcard character.
For example, you want to retrieve all interactions from yesterday, and you remember the contact names ended in "ez". In this scenario, you create an expression that is similar to the following:
• Interaction object that is based on the Date field, last updated the value "<yesterday's date>"; with an "And" operator
• Contact object that is based on the Last Name field, having(=) the value "%ez"; with an "And" operator
This retrieves all interactions that you updated yesterday for contacts with last name Lopez, Hernandez, and Gonzalez.
The following table provides a few more examples of wildcard characters and their usage:
| Wildcard | Description | Usage | Sample Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ (underscore) | Retrieves records that contain any one character in place of the wildcard | _om |
Dom Tom |
| % (percent) |
Retrieves records that contain any number of characters in place of the wildcard. Used at the beginning or end of the text. |
%ez |
Gonzalez Hernandez Lopez Perez |
| [ ] (square brackets) | Retrieves records that contain a single character within a specified range of characters. | [ a-k]erby |
Derby Sherby Kerby |
| [^] (carat within brackets) | Excludes certain characters during the search. | Jo[^h] |
Joe Jon |
Using Custom Date Operator Values in Filters
This section simplifies the usage of custom dates in your filters.
When creating an expression using the date field, you can choose from the following:
Date Choice
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Current | Indicates the current time choice. For example, if the current system time is 10:30 AM, then Current Hour = 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. |
| Next | Indicates the following or next time choice. For example, Next Hour = 11:00 AM - 12 Noon |
| Last | Indicates the previous time choice. For example, Last Hour = 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
| Between | Indicates a range of the selected time choice. For example, Between Hours = 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Corresponding Time Choice
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Hours |
Value in units of 60 minutes. For example: • If the current system time is 10:30 AM, then Current Hour = 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM • If the current system time is 10:30 AM, then Last Hour = 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
| Days | Value in calendar days, including non-business days. |
| Weeks | Value starting from Sunday through Saturday = 1 Week |
| Months | Value starting from 1st through 31st or the last day of a particular month. |
| Years | Value starting from January 1st till December 31st. |
| Quarters |
One quarter comprises three months: • Q1 = January - March • Q2 = April - June • Q3 = July - September • Q4 = October - December |
Recommendations for Optimum Search Results
• If you want to perform text searches using the "contains" operator, use this expression along with other conditions such as "created after <date>" or "Interaction State".
• Use reports instead of filters wherever possible.
• Use "=" operator instead of "contains" wherever possible.
• Minimize the number of fields that you use in your search.
• Avoid Subject and Message content (Text) based searches.
• Do not set complex filters as your default filters.
• Do not run blank filters.
• Do not set your Table View page size to be too large. A large Table View page size affects the performance, because of the number of records the system has to search and retrieve to fit the large page size.
• Deselect the auto-refresh option in your Table View Settings.
Things to Remember
• Filters cannot be used to search "Notes" type of properties.
• Filters cannot be used to search properties that are encrypted or hidden.
• When filtering on a RecordList tab, ensure that you exclude all other property values, and perform a search based on a single property.