Creating a Simple Filter

A Simple filter is based on one question or one system variable such as Interview Status. To create a Simple filter:

1. In the Data Source toolbox, right-click on a question and choose Create Simple Filter from the menu .



Figure 1 - Creating a simple filter for a question

The Filter Designer page for the Simple filter opens. All answer alternatives in the question are displayed in the Available Items field .



Figure 2 - Example of a Filter Designer page for a simple filter

2. In the Available Items field, select the items to be used in the filter by ticking the appropriate check boxes.
3. Click the >> button to move the selected items to the Selected Items column (or you can move items individually by double-clicking the item.

The question is placed in the Filters toolbox.

4. Save the changes.

If you later wish to edit the filter, right-click on the filter name in the Filters toolbox and choose Edit from the menu . The Filter page opens as shown abovehere.

Figure 3 - The Filter right-click menu

Simple filters can be converted to Advanced filters (go to Creating a Filter Tree for more information).

Note: You can also create filters simply by dragging questions or question categories from the Data Source toolbox and dropping then into the Fixed Filters field in the Table Designer page or into the gray bar below the table (go to Adding a Filter to the Table for more information).

Creating a Simple Filter on Interview Status - Example

Assume you wish to display only complete responses in your report. To do this you must define a filter using the Interview Status item in the Data Source.

1. In the Data Source toolbox, right-click on the Interview Status element and select Create Simple Filter from the drop-down menu .



Figure 4 - Creating the filter on the Interview Status element

A new filter element "Interview Status" is added to the Filters toolbox .



Figure 5 - The new filter in the Filters toolbox

2. To rename the filter and define its properties, right-click on the element in the toolbox and choose the appropriate option from the menu .



Figure 6 - Defining Complete as the filter

3. Select Complete in the Available Items column, then click the >> button to move it to the Selected Items column.
4. Click Save to save the changes.
5. To apply the filter to the entire report, right-click on the report name in the Report toolbox and choose Properties.

The Report Properties page opens .

Note: Any filters already added to the element will be listed in the Filters row. In the case below, none have been added as yet so the row shows (Filters). In the event the list of filters added to the element is too long to be displayed in its entirety, place the mouse pointer over the list to display it in full.

6. Click the button beside the Filters property.



Figure 7 - The Report Properties page

The Report Filters Activation window opens .



Figure 8 - Activating the filter

Here you activate and deactivate the filters as required.

7. In the Available Items list, select the filter(s) you wish to activate.
8. Click the >> button to move the selected filter(s) into the Selected Items list.
9. Click OK to activate the filter(s) and close the window.

On completion, click Save and Close in the Properties window.

Note: You can activate filters on individual Report pages using the same procedure.

Note that any filters applied to the entire report, as in this procedure, will be inherited by the individual tables within the report. These filters will then be indicated in the "Drop filters or answers here" fields in the tables as "Inherited", as shown below(go to Adding a Filter to the Table for more information).

Figure 9 - A report filter inherited by a table