Defined Search Rules

Part V: Rules > Defined Search Rules > Filter Definitions

Defined Search Rules

Defined search rules let you design search parameters that help operators find work items based on business-specific search criteria. Operators can search for work items using a combination of up to five fields, including both predefined work item fields and custom fields. Operators can also use any defined search rules that are used at their current working node.

Operators can also select defined search rules in XTRAC Workbench on the Search tab, in Advanced Search, from the Predefined Searches drop-down list box. For the details of how operators search for work items, see the XTRAC Workbench User’s Guide.

XTRAC then executes the defined search rule that an operator selects when searching for a work item.

IMPORTANT: For general XTRAC rule information, see XTRAC Rules.

Filter Definitions

Filter definitions display the filters that you define for the rule. You can have only five filters per rule.

You can set up the rule using custom fields. XTRAC determines the criteria available for a custom field based on the data type of the field. See Custom Fields.

IMPORTANT: At least one of the five filters must be a field that is indexed in the XTRAC database. You need to include at least one custom field (because all custom fields are indexed) or one of the following indexed predefined fields:

Account Number
Create Node
Create Operator
Current Queue
Customer ID
Document ID
Entry Date
Item Type
Last Name
Node
Organization
Party ID
Status

If no indexed fields are included in the search, the search fails.

You can set up a filter definition using the following predefined fields:

Field	Description
AccountNo	Customer’s account number
Amount	Amount of work item transaction
Cause	Reason for work item transaction
City	Customer’s city
CommunicationType	Communication type of work item
Country	Customer’s country
CPCState	=, !=, IN, NOT IN
CPCTD	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=
CreateNode	=, !=, IN, NOT IN
CreateOperator	=, !=, IN, NOT IN
CustomerId	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=, IN, NOT IN
DocumentId	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=, IN, NOT IN
EntryDate	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=
FCState	=, !=, IN, NOT IN
FCTD	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=
FirstName	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=, IN, NOT IN
ItemType	=, !=, IN, NOT IN
LastName	Customer’s last name
MiddleName	Customer’s middle name
Node	The work item’s current node
Operator	The logged-in operator that is currently using the work item
OrgName	The name of the organization that the customer belongs to
Party	The value of the party type
Phone	Customer’s phone number
PostalCode	Customer’s postal code
Priority	Relative importance of the work item based on points in priority field
QCState	=, !=, IN, NOT IN
QCTD	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=
State	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=, IN, NOT IN
Status	Status code of the work item
StatusType	The type of status: IN PROCESS, PENDING, RESOLVED
Subcause	Subcause of the work item
Subtype	Subtype of the work item

Value 1 and Value 2

Value 1 lets you define a value to filter the work items with. For example, you specify Item Type as the Field and IRA as Value 1, so operators see only IRA type work items.

Value 2 lets you specify a range of values for fields such as Amount or Entry Date. For example, the field is Amount. The rule specifies 5000 as Value 1 and 10000 as Value 2, so XTRAC retrieves only work items with a value in the Amount field from $5,000 to $10,000.

XTRAC validates the data, length, and format of the values that you enter in the Value 1 and Value 2 fields. For example, XTRAC prevents you from entering non-numeric data in a numeric field, values that are beyond the field’s maximum length, and invalid dates. For fields such as Last Name where you can enter the data for the search, the default length is 100 characters. For the Integer, Money, Decimal , and Date fields, Value 2 should always be greater than Value 1.

Note: If the field does not permit a range, XTRAC does not enable the Value 2 field.

Sort

The sort option lets you sort fields in ascending or descending order if there is a value range or if there is no value assigned. You cannot sort a field in ascending or descending order if only one value is assigned.

By default, XTRAC does not select a sort order.

Combinations of Filter Definitions

You can combine filter definitions to both sort and filter work items. XTRAC retrieves different work items based on whether you use the same field more than once in the definition, different fields, or a combination of fields.

Note: For the Date, Decimal, Integer, and Money fields, if you select a range, you must select a sort.

If you specify the same field more than once in a definition, XTRAC applies the OR logical operator to the values of the specified field. For example, an operator needs to search for work items of type 401K or IRA. You can create one defined search rule that searches for both these item types. For example, Item Type = 401K OR Item Type = IRA.

If you specify different fields, XTRAC applies the AND logical operator. For example, Item Type = IRA AND Subtype = Retire. XTRAC retrieves work items that have an IRA item type and a Retire subtype.

If you specify a combination of fields in the same rule, XTRAC applies both the OR and AND logical operators. For example, Item Type = 401K OR IRA AND Amount = $0-5,000.

Field	Value 1	Value 2	Sort
Item Type	401K
Item Type	IRA
Amount	$0	$5,000	Ascending

XTRAC retrieves work items of types 401K OR IRA, with amounts between $0 and $5,000. XTRAC sorts the work items in ascending order by Amount.

By default, XTRAC sorts work items that meet the same filtering parameters by entry date so you don't need to define the entry date as a separate filter. For example, if XTRAC determines that two work items with the 401K item type are for the same amount of $1,000, XTRAC displays the oldest work item first.

Order of Filter Definitions

The order in which a defined search rule specifies the filter definitions has an effect on a search’s efficiency. A rule should specify the fields that return the fewer work items first.

Note: For the Date, Decimal, Integer, and Money fields, if you select a range, you must select a sort.

For example, there are fewer work items of the IRA type than of the Mail communication type. The defined search rule should specify the fields in the ItemType=IRA and CommunicationType=MAIL order:

After you create the filter definitions, XTRAC lets you reorder them at any time using the Move Up and Move Down options.

Creating a Defined Search Rule

Note: To define a defined search rule, you need the Create and Defined Search Rule security functions as part of the security group that is associated with your entitlement set.

To create a defined search rule

In Feature Explorer, click Rules > Defined Search Rules.
In the Defined Rule Summary window, from the Node drop-down list box, select the node where you want to define the new rule.
Click New.
In the Defined Search Rule Detail window, create filters by selected a predefined or custom field.
Enter or select the values you want to use.
For each value, select the ascending or descending sort order (if it applies).

You can add a maximum of five filters per rule.

Note: The order that you enter these filters in affects how fast XTRAC displays search results. Order the filters so that the filter that returns the smallest number of work items is listed first. Use Move Up and Move Down to reorder the filters as necessary.

To remove a filter from the list, select it, and then click Remove.

(Optional) In the Change Request ID field, type the ID of the change request (up to 30 characters).
(Optional) In the Memo field, type the reason for creating the rule (up to 60 characters).
Click Save.

XTRAC adds the defined search rule to the system. XTRAC also appends the defined search rule to the bottom of the rule sequence list on the Defined Search Rule Summary window.

Note: XTRAC ignores the sequence of the rule list and simply executes a rule when an operator selects it. XTRAC also ignores whether a defined search rule is turned off or on. If the operator has access to the node where the rule is used, the operator has access to the rule.

Specify the order in which the operator sees the rules.

For details, see Ordering Rules.

Specify the node and rule association.

For details, see Using Rules Stored at Another Node.