Daybook - Power database - ability powerful searches range business data analyse extract statistics generate targeted management reportingthis key benefits having truly integrated system databasespeak relational always compelling reasons choose Daybook system power reporting keeps top league Both Enterprise Modulus remarkable ability run queries move table table while Enterprise Manager save searches matter how complex may put results click Data List ManagerThis months Tip Month Enterprise 6specific features describes how crossfile searches quickly take example list contact marketing campaign list decision makers working London companies photocopiers under contract three years oldThere essential rules remember doing complex searches1 Start mean endQuite simply list contacts end thats first query is2 Plan before itIn case followsFind Contacts - Role decision maker find decision makersVia Find Menu Companies - TownLondon narrow list down those work companies LondonVia Find Menu Order Items - Product CodeCOP ie Group Code product COP - Copiers Invoice Date on copier invoiced three years ago Contract this means is equal to nothing - quote marks enclosing enter COP Product Code field must ensure Lists check box on off default cause list product codes appear select from case include range products begin COPThere another check box off default needs stay so Auto box default system puts invisible sign end type in case COP turns COP symbol wildcard - means any character combination COP means all products beginning COP wished find product COP turn checkbox on3 In case really complicated searches you actually several different searches gradually reduce selection records second selection records already produced window containing selection records active hit Find button select Choices use Selection check box Choices screen case necessary4 There number additional tools help youThe Sets Manager This save sets records combine exclude intersect sets useful way saving work case make mistake later onThe Data List Manager Enterprise only drag selection records Data List Manager order save them future useBear mind both Sets Manager Data List manager accessed middle reference selection records saved show how use them searching next timeThe Selection Manager Enterprise onlyThis particularly useful those dreadful moments realise hit wrong button lost last ten minutes work stores record selections back previous onesThe Functions Menu within Choices include range function how use tools really make tremendous difference ability extract information system quite simple grips worth effortSo having planned execute it range database going table table gradually refining search finally reach Order items table hit Find button keep doing system returns table table final list contactsGood luck marketing campaign


The Daybook e-letter	news, tips and features to help you get the best from your system

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	Power search your database The ability to do powerful searches that range across your entire business data, to analyse it, extract statistics and generate highly targeted management reporting-this is one the key benefits of having a truly integrated system that is also, in database-speak 'relational'. It has always been a compelling reasons to choose a Daybook system and its power reporting still keeps it at the top of the league. Both Enterprise 6 and Modulus have a remarkable ability to run queries that move from table to table, while in Enterprise 6.1 the new Search Manager also lets you save these searches, no matter how complex they may have been and put the results with one click into the Data List Manager. This month's Tip of the Month does not, however go into the Enterprise 6-specific features, but describes how you can do cross-file searches quickly and painlessly. Let's take the example of getting a list of contact for a marketing campaign. You want list of all decision makers working in London for companies that have photocopiers under contract that are now more than three years old. There are some essential rules to remember when doing complex searches: 1. Start where you mean to end Quite simply, if you want to have a list of contacts at the end of your search, that's what your first query is. 2. Plan your search before you do it In this case it will go as follows: Find Contacts - Role is DM (decision maker) [find all decision makers] Via the Find Menu to Companies - Town=London [narrow the list down to those that work for companies in London] Via the Find Menu to Order Items - Product Code=COP (i.e. the Group Code for the product is COP - Copiers); Invoice Date from 00/00/00 to 1/6/02 ['on a copier invoiced more than three years ago]; Contract #"" (this means 'is not equal to'' [#] 'nothing' ["" - quote marks enclosing nothing]. Note: when you enter "COP" in the Product Code field, you must ensure that the No @ Lists check box is on. This is off by default, which would cause a list of product codes to appear for you to select from. In this case we want to include a range of products, all of which begin "COP'" There is another check box, which is off by default and needs to stay so. This is the No Auto @ box. By default the system puts an invisible "@" sign at the end of what you type (in this case COP turns to COP@). The @ symbol is a 'wildcard' - and means 'any character combination': COP@ means 'all products beginning with COP. If you wished to find a product called COP, then you would have to turn this checkbox on. 3. In the case of really complicated searches, you can actually do several different searches and gradually reduce your selection of records. To do a second search within a selection of records that you have already produced, have the window containing your selection of records active, hit the Find button, select More Choices and use the Search in Selection check box in the More Choices screen. In this case it is not necessary. 4. There are a number of additional tools which can help you The Sets Manager. This lets you save sets of records and combine, exclude and intersect sets. This is useful as a way of saving your work in case you make a mistake later on. The Data List Manager (Enterprise only) You can drag a selection of records to the Data List Manager in order to save them for future use Bear in mind that both the Sets Manager and the Data List manager can be accessed in the middle of a search to reference selection of records that you saved earlier . We will show you how to use them for searching next time. The Selection Manager (Enterprise only) This is particularly useful for those dreadful moments when you realise that you have just hit the wrong button and lost the last ten minutes' work. The SM stores your record selections and lets you go back to previous ones. The Functions Menu (within More Choices) lets you include a range of function in your searches. Learning how to use these tools can really make a tremendous difference to your ability to extract information from the system. They are all quite simple to get to grips with and well worth the effort. So, having planned your search, all you have to do now is execute it. As you range across your database, going from table to table, you are gradually refining your search. When you finally reach the Order items table, you hit the Find button, and keep on doing so as the system returns you, table by table, to your final list of contacts. Good luck with the marketing campaign! Back to main newsletter »


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