Searching is now easier and more versatile than ever with the updated ChilliDB search pages for various modules, including Contacts, Organisations, and Notes. This includes the ability to build searches, share searches with other users and create new records. To conduct a search in ChilliDB, click on the menu item you would like to search in - e.g.: to do a contact search, click on the Contacts menu item, and then choose 'Search'.
When clicking on 'Search' in a module, the last filter used is initially selected by default. To conduct a different search, either click on one of the presets - for Contacts these are 'By Name'; 'All'; 'My Contacts', or create your own search terms by clicking on 'New Filter'.
The preset filters are as follows (in the 'Contacts' module):
i. By Name: this functions much like the simple 'Search' previously featured in ChilliDB modules.
ii. All: this filter lists all of the contacts available to users in your database.
ii. My Contacts: this filter lists the contacts that you have entered into your ChilliDB system.
Clicking on 'New Filter' allows a user to define the parameters for the Fields and Values they would like to use to limit their search. Users can choose to add as many filters as they would like to narrow down their search.
When finished creating a filter, users can view their changes without saving them via the 'Apply Filter' button, or save the filter using the 'Save' button. When saving a filter, users will be asked to provide a name and to choose whether the saved filter will be visible only to themselves (via 'My Filters'), or to every other user who has access to the system (via 'Shared Filters').
If a user wants to save a filter they have just applied without saving, they can do so by clicking on the edit icon next to that particular filter in their 'My Filters' list. However, they can only do so with filters they have just applied. Once they navigate away from the results screen related to that search, this option will no longer be available.
Note: Users need to be in a role with the ‘Shared filters modify’ ticket in order to add and edit shared filters. Without this ticket all filters are created under my filters and the option to create a shared filter doesn’t appear.
A user-created saved filter can be edited or deleted by selecting it from the list and using the buttons next to the filter name.
The cog icon located at the top right of the search results can be used to view the edit popup; change the order the search columns are displayed in; or choose how the columns are sorted.
i. Editing cog in ChilliDB
Advanced
If users wish to create a more complex filter, they can click the ‘Show Filter Options’ link at the top right of the page to show more options for filters. This enables the creation of parameters; the choice of different operators; and the use of OR joins (See Appendix at end of document for an explainer of the different operators):
ii. Filter Editing Popup
The prompt for the value checkbox shows the field at the top of the page as a parameter, so a different value can be used each time the search is run.
iii. Show Filter Options (Advanced Filters)
Users can also select which columns of data they wish to have displayed. For example: Full name, Type, Primary organisation, Business mail, Business Fax, Business mobile etc. In this way, simple reports can be designed in conjunction with the filters above, and these reports can then be exported in a variety of file formats.
Users can also use the 'Sort Columns' tab to select how their data will be sorted based on the columns they have chosen.
v. Sort Columns Editing Tab
The search results list also features an 'Action Menu' which allows users the option of choosing a variety of different methods to interact with the displayed results.
Note: the number of methods available differs between modules.
Appendix: Show Filter Options Operators
“Starts With”: For example, to search for the people in an organisation who have a surname that starts with M, in the Field section, choose “Surname” and for the Operator value, choose “Starts with”. Then, enter “M” as the Value. After that click on 'Apply Filter', and the results will be displayed for all those surnames that start with 'M'. An example of this filter being run can be seen below:
Is Equal: The Is Equal operator is used to search for data based on a specific value that has been entered in a field. For example, if searching for specific Contact Types, such as Staff, then in the Field, choose 'Type'; put 'Is Equal' as the Operator; and in the Value choose 'Staff'. Then click on the 'Apply Filter' button.
Is Not Equal: This operator is used when wanting to exclude certain data from a search. For example, a particular type of contact may be excluded.
Is Null: The Is Null operator is used when searching for records that have data missing. This is useful when reviewing data to check, for example, client records that are missing a phone number. The screenshot below shows how to set up the Is Null operator as a filter. Note that the Value field should be blank.
Is One Of: This operator is used when wanting to include a number of options to filter a search by rather than just one. For example: If searching for business mail addresses from multiple states, for example QLD and NSW, in the Field, choose 'Business Mail - State'; select the 'Is One Of 'Operator; then, in the Value field, multiple states can be selected.
Note: Clicking on the Contact name reveals each of these results are from QLD - one of the states included in the "Is One Of" search.
Does Not Contain: The Does Not Contain operator is another way of excluding certain data when running a search. For example, if the user wants to search for postcodes that do not contain “75”, this operator helps to locate such data. In Field, select 'Business Mail Postcode' and for the Operator, select “Does Not Contain”. Finally, enter a value of '75' and click on the 'Apply Filters' button. The results will contain all postcodes that do not contain the number 75 in them.
Note: Clicking on the Contact name reveals each of these results feature postcodes without the number '57'.
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