Expression Builder

Use the Expression Builder to set custom filters for reports and searches. To access Expression Builder:

• When defining criteria for a report/search, select the Extra Criteria option on the Criteria tab and click Modify Criteria.
• When previewing search results on the Data Preview screen, click Options and select Filter Criteria.

Filters that you set on this screen will be defined in the form of logical statements, or "expressions." An expression must consist of at least three parts: a TAM field, an operator, and a comparison value. Use the following steps to define these three basic components.

1. The available fields in the Field list vary depending on what data table is selected. You may use the From table dropdown list at the bottom of the screen to change the fields that display. For most TAM reports, however, you are only able to draw from one data table.
2. Select the appropriate field. The Fields list displays information in four columns:
   • Name of field
   • Type of data (C for character or N for numeric)
   • Field length
   • Number of decimal places (for numeric fields only)
3. Double click the field to add it to the Enter EXTRA CRITERIA/Enter FILTER CONDITION box at the top of the screen. This is where the expression you build will display. The field displays in the following format: Table.field (for example, if you selected name from the Ins table, Ins.name would display in the Enter EXTRA CRITERIA/Enter FILTER CONDITION box).
4. After the field name, type an operator. Some of the most common operators include:
   • = Equals
   • > Is greater than
   • < Is less than
   • >= Is greater than or equal to
   • <= Is less than or equal to
   • <> Does not equal
5. After the operator, type the comparison value for the expression. Your comparison value should be typed in all capital letters and surrounded by quotation marks if it is a character field. Numeric values, other than zip postal codes, do not need to be enclosed in quotation marks.
   
   For example, if you were searching for records for customer Joseph Abbot, your expression would now read Ins.name = "JOSEPH ABBOT" with "JOSEPH ABBOT" as the comparison value.
6. To create a compound expression, type the word AND, OR, or NOT after the first statement and add another.
   
   Be careful about which connecting word you choose. For example, suppose you wished to find records for Joseph Abbot and records for Jason Wright. The expression Ins.name = "JOSEPH ABBOT" AND Ins.name = "JASON WRIGHT" would not retrieve any results, because linking the statements with AND means that both conditions must apply to each result. You would instead link the statements with OR.
7. To ensure that the expression you created is valid, click Verify. If the expression is valid, "Expression is valid" displays briefly in the status bar at the bottom of your computer screen. If not, an error message displays.
8. Click OK to apply the filter.

For information on the more advanced functions available via Expression Builder, see Expression Builder Functions in TAM Reports.

For information on how to customize the Expression Builder screen, see Expression Builder Options.