FSGS Overview and Configuration – BridgeWorks Help Center

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Article Goal

Learn how Filter, Sort, Group, and Sum (FSGS) work together to control the data returned and displayed within a VDM View.

What is FSGS?

FSGS stands for:

Component	Purpose
Filter	Determines which records are returned.
Sort	Controls the order of the returned records.
Group	Organizes records into categories in the Summary Grid.
Sum	Calculates totals and aggregates for grouped data.

FSGS is one of the core building blocks of a VDM View and is used to control how data is filtered, organized, and summarized.

When Would I Use FSGS?

Use FSGS when you need to:

Filter data to specific records.
Sort results for easier analysis.
Group related records together.
Calculate totals, counts, averages, or other summary values.

FSGS is commonly used when building reports that require summarized or organized data instead of raw detail records.

How FSGS Works Together

FSGS defines the structure and logic of a report:

Filter selects the records to return.
Sort organizes those records.
Group categorizes related records.
Sum calculates totals and aggregates.

For example:

Filter: Show orders from the current month.
Sort: Order results by Order Date.
Group: Group results by Salesperson.
Sum: Calculate total sales for each Salesperson.

Filter

Filters determine which records are included in the View.

Example
Show orders from the current month
Show invoices greater than $1,000
Show active customers only

Ex: Show data for the current month

Sort

Sorting controls the order in which records are displayed.

Sort Type	Example
Ascending (ASC)	A → Z, 1 → 10, Oldest → Newest
Descending (DESC)	Z → A, 10 → 1, Newest → Oldest

Group

Grouping combines records with the same value into categories, allowing calculations to be performed at the group level instead of on individual records.

Example
Group orders by Salesperson
Group invoices by Customer
Group transactions by Department

Grouped items appear in the Summary Grid, which displays summarized results separately from the Detail Grid.

Sum

Summary Fields perform calculations on grouped data.

Common functions include:

Function	Description
Sum	Total value
Count	Number of records
Average	Average value
Minimum	Lowest value
Maximum	Highest value

Summary Fields are used to calculate totals and other aggregate values for grouped data.

Example Workflow

The following example demonstrates all four FSGS components working together:

Component	Example
Filter	Current Month Orders
Sort	Order Date ASC
Group	Employee
Sum	Total Freight

Result:

Only current month orders are returned.
Orders are sorted by date.
Results are grouped by employee.
Freight totals are calculated for each employee.