Selecting Data
To select data for a report, you first select the type of records from which data is to be drawn. You can then restrict the data retrieval to a specific subset of the available data. The type of search that you use depends upon the complexity of your search.
You select a search type in the Display Type field on any lookup dialog box. You can save Advanced searches and SQL Where Clause searches for use in future Reporting sessions. You can then use those searches again without entering your criteria again.
Unlike saved sets of report options, saved searches are linked to a data type rather than to a report. For example, you might have a saved search for all projects assigned to a certain project manager. You could then use that search for many reports.
Favorites Organizing Option
The setting in Favorites Organizing on the Roles form () for your role controls the actions available to you when you save search criteria:
- Save Personal Only: You can create, modify, save, or delete only your personal searches.
- Save for My Role: You can create, modify, save, or delete personal searches, and you can also save searches for use by co-workers who share your security role.
- Save for All Roles: You can create, modify, save, or delete personal searches, searches for use by co-workers who share your security role, and global searches for all Reporting users.
"Is Me" Operator in Searches
The "is me" operator helps you select only data to which you are linked by your employee number. For example, suppose you want a version of the Project Summary report that lists only data from projects for which you are the project manager. To do that, you click the Selection column in the Reports grid, and then you specify these settings on the Project lookup:
- Search Field = Project Manager Number
- Operator = is me
This operator works only with search fields that are employee numbers, such as Employee Number or Project Manager Number. It does not work with search fields based on names, such as Employee Last Name.
"Is Mine" and "Is Not Mine" Operators in Searches
If you search on an organization field in a lookup, you can use the "is mine" and "is not mine" operators to make your search easier. These search options automatically select data for organizations that either match or do not match the organization of the employee doing the search. For example, you could create a search with these settings:
- Search Number = Organization
- Operator = is mine
These options can be helpful when you set up global searches and record-level security.
Access
To open the lookup for a report, click the
Selection column in the
Reports grid, and then click
. The
Selection column may be blank, or it may contain text:
| If the Options column... | Then... |
|---|---|
| Is blank or contains <click to restrict records> | You have not specified any selection criteria for the report. If you do not enter selection criteria before you generate the report,
DPS includes data from all records of the appropriate type.
To set new selection criteria, click the
Selection column, and then click
|
| Has this label: <options selected> | Selection criteria have been specified for the report.
To review or change the criteria, click
|
| Contains a name | The report is set up to use a named set of search criteria.
To review or change those criteria, click
|