Setup (general)

Best practices for searching and filtering in large databases

Wherever large lists of items are displayed in a screen or drop-down list, results are limited to a predetermined maximum size, and a "Results Limited" message appears. This topic describes ways to refine your search and/or apply filters to narrow the list of results and more easily find the items you are seeking.
  • Use the
    Search Options
     field pattern-matching rules (
    Exact
    ,
    Begins with
    ,
    Contains
    , or
    Ends with
    ). Use the
    Contains
     search option to quickly narrow down the list to show only those clients whose IDs contain a partial match of your search criteria. For example, if all clients in the Ann Arbor office contain AA in their client ID, using the
    Contains
     option and searching on
    AA
     would display CLIENTAA01, CLIENTAA02, and so on.
  • To maximize the benefit of the search feature, consider how your searchable fields (especially ID and sort names) will sort alphabetically when you create your ID codes.
  • Use a filter to display items not easily found when entering a search term, or create a custom filter.
  • The sort order of a screen’s grid or drop-down list affects which records are displayed in a results-limited list. Using the sort order in combination with a filter can quickly narrow down the list to the records you want to display.
    Example
    1. In the Review tab of Time & Expense Entry, click the Sheet Date column heading to sort by descending sheet date, bringing the most-recent time and expense entries into the results-limited list.
    2. Filter on
      Staff ID
       >
      is
       >
      Specified Staff
       > <
      Staff ID
      > to see only the recent work history for a particular staff member.

This article applies to:

  • Product: Digita Practice Advanced