Filter: limit searches to a subset of records

The Filter option1 enables each user to define a subset of records that limits all their searches to this record set while the filter is active. A curator of ceramics, for example, might only be interested in Object catalogue records where:

  • Management status = internal

    -AND-

  • Object category = ceramics

By specifying a filter with these two criteria in the Object catalogue, any searches performed by the curator in this data source will always occur within the subset of records that meet the filter's criteria. A search for objects created in the 20th Century will only return records for ceramic objects that were created in the 20th Century and that are currently in the organization's collection: no records will be returned where Object category = painting, for example, or where Management status = disposed.

Note: A filter is essentially a persistent search statement that is automatically added to every search query until you disable it.

Without a filter, you can achieve the same result on the Standard and Advanced search tabs but it is necessary, of course, to specify all search criteria every time you run a search:

With the filter described above, a search on the Standard tab for objects created by Beate Kuhn looks like this:

With filter

Without a filter:

Without filter

With a filter in place, a search on the Advanced tab for objects created by Beate Kuhn looks like this:

With filter

Without a filter:

With filter

Filters also apply to Saved searches and searches using the Quick search option available from the Result set View and Gallery View toolbars. Quick searches are pre-configured to search one or more fields (if you select creator from the field drop list, your search will be run in that field):

But with a filter in place, the search will only return records where the filter's conditions are also met.

Note: A filter persists until you cancel it.

Filters are defined on the Standard search tab:

  1. Open the Search box and select the Filter button on the Standard tab:

    Filter

    The Search filters box opens:

    Search filters

    The Search filters box is similar to the Standard search tab: a basic form with a subset of fields in the current data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on..

  2. Construct the filter as you would specify any search on the Standard search tab:

    Search filters

    More details:

    • See Standard search for details about how to specify search terms, use search operators (equals, does not equal, contains, etc.) and Boolean operators (AND, OR).
    • See Settings for details about how to add / remove fields from the form.
  3. Click OK to apply the filter.

    From now on, the search query defined by the filter will be applied automatically to every search you perform.

You can tell that a filter is active in several ways:

There are a couple of things to be aware of when saving and restoring groups of records:

Filters are deactivated from the Search filters box:

  1. Open the Search box and select the Filter button on the Standard tab to open the Search filters box:

    Search filters

  2. Click Clear.

    All search terms and operators are cleared from the form and the filter is no longer active.

Filters are remembered per user and data source: if a filter was active in a data source when you logged out of Collections, it will be enabled in that data source when you log back in.