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Epiglossary

Tracker filters with a BAQ combo

Classic (E10)

A plain tracker prompt is a text box: users have to know and type the exact value. A BAQCombo replaces it with a drop-down whose options come from a BAQ, for example a list of supervisors, warehouses or part classes. Because the list is a query, it updates itself as the data changes.

Before you start

Section titled “Before you start”
  • A dashboard with the query you want to filter.
  • A second, shared BAQ that returns the options: one row per option, with a value column (the key you filter on) and a display column (what users read). Make it return distinct rows; the combo shows every row it gets, duplicates included.

Steps

Section titled “Steps”

  1. Add a tracker view for the query you want to filter (right-click the query, New Tracker View). Leave the column you’ll filter with the combo out of the tracker (not visible). If the tracker shows it, it becomes a native control that you can’t turn into a combo. Save the dashboard.

  2. Customize the tracker view: right-click it in the tree and choose Customize Tracker View. The Customization Tools Dialog opens.

  3. From Tools > ToolBox, pick BAQCombo and draw it on the tracker panel. Add an EpiLabel next to it.

    Customization ToolBox with the BAQCombo control highlighted

  4. With the combo selected, set these properties:

    Property Set to
    DynamicQueryID The options BAQ, e.g. XX_SupervisorList
    DisplayMember The column users see, e.g. EmpBasic_Name
    ValueMember The column holding the key, e.g. EmpBasic_EmpID
    IsTrackerQueryControl (Misc) True, so the combo acts as a filter for the tracker
    QueryColumn (Misc) The column of the dashboard’s query to filter, e.g. EmpBasic_SupervisorID
    DashboardCondition (Dashboard) Usually Equals
    DashboardPrompt (Dashboard) True. If it’s left False the combo is greyed out.
    DashboardHonorNull (Dashboard) True

  5. Save the customization, close the dialog, and Save the dashboard.

  6. Test on the Dashboard tab: pick a value and click Refresh. Then redeploy the dashboard (Tools > Deploy Dashboard).

Notes

Section titled “Notes”
  • You can add as many BAQ combos as you like. They combine with and, so each extra filter narrows the results; it’s easy to end up with none.
  • The same IsTrackerQueryControl / QueryColumn / DashboardCondition properties work on ordinary controls too. Two text boxes on the same column with GreaterThanOrEqualTo and LessThanOrEqualTo give you a range search.
  • Since the tracker is a customization, you can also add labels, group boxes and tidy the layout while you’re there.
  • In Kinetic, the equivalent is an erp-combo-box driven by a BAQ; see Combo boxes and Dashboard parameters and filters.

Sources

This page is written in our own words. It was informed by: