Within the reporting tools, you can filter your data by using constraints. Within the constraints functions you can apply Operators and Wildcards to further narrow down your search.

Operators #

Includes: This operator returns any records which exactly match the input.

• Does not allow the use of wildcards
• Will accept ranges denoted by dashes. Ranges are inclusive.
  • Example: “1000–2000” will return records matching 1000, 1001, 1002…2000, but will exclude a record matching 2001.

Does not Include: This operator excludes any records which exactly match the input.

• Does not allow the use of wildcards.
• Will accept ranges denoted by dashes. Ranges are inclusive.
  • Example: “1000-2000” will exclude records matching 1000, 1001, 1002…2000, but will return a record matching 2001.

Greater Than or Equal To (>=): Numeric data only. This operator looks for records matching a value greater than or equal to the specified value. Does not allow the use of wildcards, or ranges.

• Example: “>= 1000” will return any records matching 1000, 1001, 1002, etc. but will exclude records matching 900.

Less than or Equal To (<=): Numeric only data. This will allow you to match records to a specific number and lower. Does not allow the use of wildcards, or ranges.

• Will only exclude data if the record completely matches the input.
• Will accept ranges by the use of dashes
  • example: “<= 1000” will return any records matching 1000, 999, 998, etc. but will exclude records matching 2000.

Like: This operator looks for partial matches within records.

• Uses wildcards (covered in next section) to specify search terms.

Wildcards #

A wildcard is a character that can be used as a substitute for any of a class of characters when using the Like operator.

* (Asterisk): Represents zero or more characters

• *12345 returns any record ending with 12345.
• 12345* returns any record beginning with 12345.
• *12345* returns records containing 12345 in any position.

? (Question Mark): Represents a single character

• 123???? returns any record beginning with 123 followed by any four characters, one for each ?.
  • This example will return records matching 1234567 and 1234444, but not 1234 or 123456789.
• 123?567 returns any record matching 123_567 with any character in the fourth position.
  • This example will return records matching 1234567 and 1234567, but not 123444567 or 123567.