Works:Using 4.0 Filter Comparison Operators in 3.0 New Query Box (125404)

SUMMARY

Before you create a Database report in Microsoft Works for Windows, you can determine exactly which records will be printed by using a filter (Works 4.0, 4.5, or 4.5a) or a query (Works 3.0). A filter or query searches individual fields in your database, based on selected criteria (whereas the Find command checks all highlighted fields and records for the specified text).

The Filter command in Works versions 4.0, 4.5, and 4.5a contains several additional comparison operators, such as "Does not contain" and "Is blank," that are not available in Works 3.0. To use these operators in a Works 4.0, 4.5, or 4.5a, just click the Comparison box in the Filter dialog box and select the one you want. To use these operators in Works 3.0, see the workaround below.

Workaround for Works 3.0

The following is a list of the operators in the Works 4.0, 4.5, or 4.5a Filter that are not found in the Works 3.0 New Query dialog box, their formulas, and the expected results.

                          Formula          Match records whose
   Operator               (query view)     specified field
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Does not contain       <>"*J*"          Does not contain a letter "j"
   Is Blank               =""              Is blank
   Is not blank           <>""             Is not blank
   Ends with              ="*e"            Ends with the letter "e"
   Does not end with      <>"*e"           Does not end with the letter "e"
   Begins with            ="S*"            Begins with a letter "s"
   Does not begin with    <>"S*"           Does not begin with an "s"
				

To use these formulas in the Works 3.0 New Query dialog box, replace either the = or <> in the formula with "is equal to" or "is not equal to" in the "How to compare the field" box, and place the rest of the formula in the "Value to compare the field to" box. In the case of "is blank" or "is not blank," the "Value to compare the field to" box can be left blank.

NOTE: For text queries containing reserved words or characters such as "S" or "N," the quotation marks must be used in the "Value to compare the field to" box to avoid the "Reference not valid or wrong operand type" error message.

For more information on using reserved words in Works queries, query on the following in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: