Using Filters to Manage Your Messages

You can use filters to screen out certain messages when viewing them in any GroupWise folder. For example, you can apply a filter to your Mailbox that displays only your Mail and Phone messages, or a filter that displays only your unopened messages. You can save the filters you create and use them again later.

Here are some situations in which a filter can be very useful:

• You have a lot of messages in your Mailbox, and you want to see only unopened messages.

• You want to see only messages that were received during a specific period of time (for example, from January 1, 2003 to February 1, 2003).

• You want to see only messages you received from a specific person.

• You want to see only high-priority messages.

• You want to see only messages that contain a certain keyword in the Subject field.

A filter does not remove messages from your Mailbox; it only determines which messages are displayed. When you close a filtered display, the filter is automatically removed. The next time you open the same folder, all the messages appear again. The exception to this is if you used a filter from the predefined list of filters. In such a case, the filter stays active.

NOTE

Remember, a filter limits the messages displayed in a folder based on your criteria. Find uses a filter to generate a list (Find Results) of messages that meet the criteria.

Filter Terminology

You should understand five key terms exist before you begin working with filters:

• Filter topic

• Filter qualifier

• Filter variable/constant

• Filter group

• Filter terminator

Filter Topic

The filter topic is the part (or parts ) of a message you want considered when GroupWise determines which messages to display. The following list shows the various filter topics from which you can choose:

• Account

• Annotation

• Assigned Date

• Attachment List

• Attachments

• Author

• Caller's Company

• Caller's Name

• Caller's Phone Number

• Category

• CC

• Copy Type

• Created

• Date Opened

• Delivered

• Document Created Date

• Document Creator

• Document Number

• Document Type

• Due/End Date

• Filename Extension

• From

• Item Source

• Item Status

• Item Type

• Library

• Message

• My Subject

• Number Accepted

• Number Completed

• Number Deleted

• Number Opened

• Number Replied

• Opened By

• Place

• Posted By

• Priority

• Send Options

• Size

• Started

• Subclass

• Subject

• Task Category

• Task Priority

• Thread State

• To

• Total Recipients

• Version Created Date

• Version Creator

• Version Description

• Version Number

• Version Status

• View Name

Filter Qualifier

The filter qualifier is the logic component of a filter; it indicates the selections to be made. Each filter topic has a different list of available qualifiers. For example, Less Than applies to the filter topic Size, whereas Begins With is applicable to the filter topic From, but not to Size.

The following list shows the different filter qualifiers:

• Contains

• Begins With

• Matches

• Includes

• Does Not Include

• Equal To

• Not Equal To

• Less Than

• Less Than or Equal To

• Greater Than

• Greater Than or Equal To

• Equal To Field

• Not Equal To Field

• Less Than Field

• Less Than or Equal To Field

• Greater Than Field

• Greater Than or Equal To Field

• On

• Before

• On or After

• After

• On or After Date

• On or Before

• On Date

• On or Before Date

• After Date

• Before Date

Filter Variable/Constant

A filter variable is the input on which GroupWise bases message filtering, such as a user 's name. A filter constant sets the parameters of the filter topic. For example, High is a filter constant for the filter topic Priority; Phone Message is a filter constant for the filter topic Item Type.

Filter Group

A filter group is a single, complete decision line in one filter. The formula for filter groups is explained in the section "Building a Filter" later in this chapter.

Filter Terminator

The filter terminator determines what kind of action GroupWise takes once it has made the proper selections. Table 5.2 explains the different filter terminators available.

Table 5.2. Filter Terminators

TERMINATOR	ACTION
And	Adds an "And" condition to a single filter group
Or	Adds an "Or" condition to a single filter group
Insert Row	Adds an additional condition row in a single filter group
Delete Row	Deletes a condition row in a single filter group
Insert Group	Adds an additional filter group
End	Terminates the filter

Building a Filter

When you build a filter, you specify the criteria GroupWise uses to determine which messages to display. The formula for this decision appears in the Advanced Filter dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.13.

Figure 5.13. The Advanced Filter dialog box allows you to build filter scenarios.

The formula for building a filter is as follows :

Include entries where <Filter Topic> <Qualifier> <Variable/Constant>

Here's an example:

Include entries where Items Type = Phone Message

This filter displays only Phone messages in the folder.

A simple filter is a single-decision filter. A complex filter is one where multiple decisions can be evaluated. The Filter Terminator field in the far-right side of the Advanced Filter dialog box enables you to add more than one decision.

The filter in Figure 5.14 displays only high-priority messages received from Rick.

Figure 5.14. This is a more complex filter with multiple conditions.

To apply a filter to a folder, follow these steps:

1. Open the folder and click View, Filter, Edit/Create.

2. Select the display criteria and choose Save (if you want to use this filter again). You need to specify a filter name and click the Put On menu option to add this filter to the menu.

   If your filter does not display any items, you see the dialog box shown in Figure 5.15.

   Figure 5.15. If no items match your filter criteria, you will see this notification.

   

3. Click OK to apply the filter.

If you want to use a previously created filter, follow these steps:

1. Click View, Filter.

2. Select the filter you would like to use and click OK. The folder now displays only the filtered messages.

To return to your normal, unfiltered view, right-click in the filtered folder and choose Clear Filter from the QuickMenu.

TIP

You can use filters to locate messages. For example, if you know that John Smith sent you a message, but you can't find it among your many messages, create a filter that screens out all messages except those from John Smith. This only works if you know what folder the message is in. Otherwise, you are going to be better served with a Find operation.