# Filters

Sometimes you may only want to see a portion of rows in a data category, rather than its entirety. Filters allow you to narrow the scope of your reports by restricting the amount of data by specified criteria.

For example, imagine a category containing a row for every single sale your company has ever made. You can use a filter to limit the report to only sales from the past month. This also has the benefit of speeding up your reports.

There are three types of filters available in the Filters window:

- Standard
- Group Min/Max
- Top/Bottom

# Standard Filters

Standard filters limit data by only showing rows where the values for a field meet a certain condition.

## Adding standard filters

In the Filters window, add data fields to filter.

Dragging a field to the Filter By pane

For each data field, select a condition. When the report is run, the field value for each row is checked against the condition for that field. Only the rows where the field satisfies the condition will show on the report.

To create a filter condition:

1. Select an operator from one of the following options. This is the condition used to match the data values to your specified filter value or values. Some operators are only available for some data types.

   The following table describes the filter operators and their applicable data types:

   Condition | Type | Filter Value(s) | Matching Value(s) | Not Matching Value(s)
   Equal To (=) | Any | July 4, 2016 | July 4, 2016 July 4, 2016 12:00 AM | July 4 July 4, 2016 2:00 PM
   Less Than (<) | Number, Date/Time | July 4, 2016 | July 3, 2016 | July 5, 2016
   Greater Than (>) | Number, Date/Time | July 4, 2016 | July 5, 2016 July 4, 2016 5:00 PM | July 3, 2016
   Starts With | Text, Number | 203 | 2035550224 | 8458081120
   Ends With | Text, Number | 224 | 2035550224 | 7188044606
   Contains | Text, Number | 555 | 2035550224 | 2038081120
   Between | Any | 1, 4 | 1, 1.5, 3, 4 | 0.999, 5
   One Of | Any | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 1.1, 9

2. Enter a filter value or values, or select them from the list of existing values.

   Choosing a filter value

3. Optional: If you have multiple filters, you can choose how they should be grouped. See Grouping filters together.

4. Optional: If you want the report to prompt the user to enter a filter value when the report is run, select Prompt For Value. See below for details.

## Prompting for values

If you want to let users select their own filter values when they run the report, you can set filters to Prompt For Value. In the Report Options, you can choose whether to let users change the operators and delete filters.

You do not need to enter a value for prompting filters. But if you do, it is entered as the default value for the filter in the prompt dialog.

# Grouping filters together

When a data row is checked against the report filters, the values for each of its data fields are checked against all of the filters for the data fields. By default, it must satisfy every filter condition to show on the report. The combined statement used to filter the data rows is shown in the Summary field.

Example of a combined filter statement

You can specify that a data row needs only to satisfy one filter, or a selection of filters, to show on the report.

To specify that a data row needs to satisfy any one of several filters:

1. On the Filters page, drag the filter rows next to each other.

2. Select the first filter.

3. Select OR With Next Filter.

   You should notice that in the Summary field, the And between this filter and the next has changed to Or.

4. Repeat steps 2-3 for every filter except the last.

You can group filters together, to specify that a data row can match either one group of filters, or another group of filters, to show on the report.

To specify that a data row needs to satisfy any one of several groups of filters:

1. On the Filters page, drag the filter rows such that the filters are nearest to their group mates.

2. Select the first filter in the first group.

3. Select Group With Next Filter.

   You should notice that in the Summary field, there are now parentheses around this filter and the next.

4. Repeat steps 2-3 for every filter except the last in the first group.

5. Select the last filter in the first group.

6. Select OR With Next Filter.

   You should notice that in the Summary field, the And between this filter and the next has changed to Or.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 for every group of filters. Skip step 6 for the last filter in the last group.

## Nesting filter groups (advanced users)

Filter groups can be nested arbitrarily. This allows for more detailed control over grouping. The Summary field shows the actual statement used to filter the data. You can make arbitrary groupings by inserting parentheses manually at locations in the statement. Use the following keyboard shortcuts:

- Ctrl + [ to add an opening parenthesis before the selected filter
- Ctrl + ] to add a closing parenthesis after the selected filter
- Ctrl + Shift + [ to remove an opening parenthesis from before the selected filter
- Ctrl + Shift + ] to remove a closing parenthesis from after the selected filter

> Caution
> Make sure to have a closing parenthesis for every opening parenthesis.