Creating an Advanced Filter

FlexNet Manager Suite 2020 R2 (On-Premises)

Advanced filters have more power, and you can create the entire filter before the list is updated.

Advanced filters allow you to create complex relationship of several rules, linked by Boolean relationships (like AND, and OR, mixed across different groups within your filter). The current setting for your advanced filter displays in a special row above the list, and also in the simple filter display underneath the page title.

To create an advanced filter:

1. Above the list, click the advanced filter icon ().
   A new bar appears above the list, showing the same icon on the left end, and an Advanced filter link.

   Tip: If space is tight, you can show/hide the advanced filter bar by clicking the same icon. If you hide the bar when a filter rule is active, the rule remains in play and displays next time you expose the advanced filter bar.
2. Click the Advanced filter link.
   The Advanced filter dialog appears. If there is no active rule, it shows the default Boolean condition for linking rules together (And), with a plus sign icon for adding another rule.
   
   
3. To change the relationship between rules that you will create, click the red, current value of the relationship (by default, And).
   a drop-down list appears, where you can choose one of the following values:

   Option	Meaning
   And	Sets the relationship between all the rules at this level to a logical AND. Every one of this set of rules must be satisfied for a matching line of data to appear in the filtered list.
   Or	Sets the relationship between all the rules at this level to a logical OR. If any one of this set of rules is satisfied, the matching line of data appears in the filtered list.
   Add Group	Adds a new group, one level inset from the current one, for which different relationships between rules can exist. (If you are familiar with Boolean expressions, this is the same as inserting brackets in the expression.) The group is indicated by a group header line that shows the Boolean condition connecting the rules within the group (AND or OR).
   Add Condition	Adds a new default rule at the current level. (This is identical to clicking the + icon in the heading for this level.)
   Remove	Deletes all the rules included below this heading. There is no undo.

4. To add a new rule in this group, click the plus + icon in the heading for the group.
   A new rule, made up of default settings, appears at the bottom of this group. Each rule is made up of four elements in this order:

   • Column name (shown in blue)
   • Test (shown in green)
   • Value(s) (shown in gray)
   • A cross icon x that you can click to delete this rule.
5. To change the data column used in this rule, click the blue column name.
   A list of available columns appears. (The random order is the default ordering of columns for the main list, including those hiding in the column chooser.) Choose the column name to use for this rule.

   Tip: This means you can filter on columns that are not currently visible in the list. Be careful that you don't accidentally filter out things using an off-screen column that you've forgotten about.
6. To change the test that the rule applies (mathematically called the 'operator'), click the current value shown in green, and choose one of the options from the list that appears.
   There are different tests available, depending on the data types (the kinds of information in the chosen column).
7. When a rule requires a value, the current value displays in gray. Click the value to change it.
   For text or numbers, a small field appears where you can type in a value. When a column has a fixed set of values, a drop-down list appears where you can choose one of the valid values.

   Tip: Don't add extra quotation marks around text values.
8. If you chose a test of Is any of or Is none of, your rule shows an extra plus + icon on the right. Click this to add another value to your list.
   You can repeat this as many times as necessary.

   Tip: These values must be exact matches for items in your chosen column. A partial value will not work (for example, a filter rule matching a license Name of Ima will not display a license called ImageReady).
9. To use wildcards (_ for single character and % for any number of characters) for pattern matching, use the Is like or Is not like test conditions and specify the string pattern. For example, the pattern Flex% when used with the Is like test, will match the items beginning with the word Flex, followed by any number of characters.
10. You may repeat to add as many rules as you like to your filter. When satisfied with your filter, click OK.
    The dialog closes, and after a moment the list is refreshed, showing those values that match your filter. As well, the current filter settings display in all visible filter controls:

    • In the simple filter setting at top left, under the page name
    • In the header filters, if you have this top row of the list exposed
    • In the advanced filter bar immediately above the list, while you have this control exposed.

Example

Your manager says, "What's our exposure to Microsoft? How much could they cost us?" You think, "That could be through an audit, or because of true-ups."

Let's assume all your Microsoft applications are linked to licenses. You can filter the All Licenses list to show licenses where "Publisher is Microsoft and (either the license is out of compliance or it is subject to true-up)". Notice how the brackets provide grouping. The dialog settings could look like this:

When you click OK, you'll see the list of licenses to investigate further.

You may change the filter either by re-opening the editor (click on the current setting in the Advanced filter bar), or by tweaking values in the header filter row (when you have exposed that control).

You can clear the filter entirely by clicking the large X cross at the end of the advanced filter value, or by clicking each X in the groups shown in the simple filter.