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Using Filter Strings in Finished Reports

Garrick Guillory
Updated

A Filter String can be used in Finished Reports to control which records are displayed in the report without changing the underlying VDM View.

This is useful when the Finished Report needs an additional level of filtering that applies only to the report output.

What Is a Filter String?

The Filter String property applies a condition to the Finished Report.

For example, you can use a Filter String to:

  • Display only records with a specific status
  • Limit results to a date range
  • Exclude records that should not appear in the report
  • Apply report-specific conditions without modifying the View

A Filter String affects the Finished Report only. It does not change the underlying View results or Visualize elements.

Why Use Filter Strings?

Use Filter Strings when you want to:

  • Add report-level filtering without changing the View
  • Create a report that displays only a subset of the available data
  • Apply temporary or specialized filtering to a Finished Report
  • Keep the underlying View available for other reports or Visualize layouts

Where Can Filter Strings Be Configured?

Filter Strings can be configured from either:

  • Report Tasks in the Finished Reports Designer
  • The Filter String property for XtraReport in the Properties pane

Both methods open the Filter String editor.

Step 1: Open and Run the View

Open the VDM View containing the data you want to use and select Run View.

Step 2: Open Finished Reports Designer

After the View finishes running, open Finished Reports Designer.

Step 3: Open the Filter String Setting

You can access the Filter String in either of the following ways.

Option 1: Report Tasks

Open Report Tasks and locate Filter String.

Option 2: XtraReport Properties

Select XtraReport and locate Filter String in the Properties pane.

Step 4: Open the Filter String Editor

Select the ellipsis button next to Filter String to open the editor.

Use the available fields and operators to create the required condition.

For example:

[Freight] > 50 AND [ShippedDate] >= #2022-01-01#

This example displays only records where:

  • Freight is greater than 50
  • ShippedDate is January 1, 2022 or later

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Step 5: Preview and Verify the Report

Select Preview and confirm that the Filter String is producing the expected results.

Verify that:

  • Only records matching the Filter String are displayed
  • Records that do not match the condition are excluded
  • The underlying View does not need to be changed

Save the Report

After confirming that the filtered results are correct, save the Finished Report.

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