And/Or View Filtering

[Jeeslawees]

Let's say I'm trying to create a Business Contact View that only shows
Contacts that have one or more e-mail addresses in the record. I click
Filters, then Advanced, then select Field=E-mail, with Criteria=is not empty,
then click Add To List. Ditto for E-Mail2. Ditto for E-Mail3. These 3
Filters result in NO Contacts showing in the View, apparently because the
Outlook BCM assumes a boolean operator of "AND" between all criteria on the
filter list. So in this example, unless the Contact has an e-mail address in
ALL 3 e-mail fields, the Contact will not show in the View.

My questions are:
- Is my AND operator assumption correct? Is it hard coded in the BCM
Advanced Filter sequence?
- Is there any way to change the boolean operator to "OR"? (my current
cheapo contact mgr s/w does this)
- What is the MORE Advanced Filter button for? Does it actually work? No
matter what I do it does not activate.
- Anyone have a work around for this dilemma?

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Lon Orenstein]

Yes, you're correct but here's the workaround.

After you create the three entries on the Advanced tab, click the SQL tab
and you'll see the SQL statements that BCM will use to create the filter.
Click on the box at the bottom, "Edit these criteria directly", and you can
change the AND's to OR's like this:

(NOT("http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062004-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/8084001f"
IS NULL) OR
NOT("http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062004-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/8094001f"
IS NULL) OR
NOT("http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062004-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/80a4001f"
IS NULL))

HTH,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
www.pinpointtools.com

 

[Jeeslawees]

Thanks Lon, you're a huge help, but could MS make this any LESS user
friendly? In my current CRM software, all I do is click on an AND or OR
radio button after each filter criteria string.

First, can I assume that by you not addressing the "More Advanced" button on
the Advanced filter screen confirms my suspicion that this button doesn't do
anything?

Anyway, I'm not a techie, so anytime someone says all you have to do is edit
this string of programming, I get nervous. Therfore, let me see if I got all
this correct before I potentially screw it all up ..........

Your reply's SQL string looks different the what I see on my screen, which
is"http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062004-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/8084001f" LIKE '%@%' AND
"http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062004-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/8094001f" LIKE '%@%' AND
"http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062004-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/80a4001f" LIKE '%@%')

Are you saying I have to delete the LIKE '%@%' AND words that are there and
add the parans and words .... NOT ... IS NOT .... OR .... as you show them
(in black font vs. blue) on your reply? Left to my own devices I would have
just thought to replace the AND's with OR's in above string ..... guess not?!

After making the SQL edits, I assume clicking OK, then OK again the filter
will execute the OR operator?

Now this is real important. Can I also assume that any SQL changes I make
to any view's filter can be erased by simply unchecking the SQL box, thus
allowing me to get to the Advance tab again, and then removing all criteria
shown? I assume I do not have to first change the SQL string back to it's
original look first?

Further, if complete criteria removal IS as noted above, can I assume that
any future Advanced filter criteria I set for this or any view, it will once
again use the default AND boolean operator? Even if I recreate the exact
same 3 Advanced criteria again?

TIA,
Rick