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**SetLimit(** //name// [ ,//lower// ] [ ,//upper// ] [ ,//equal //]// //**)**

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| **SetLimit** | Sets the QueryClass object's search values. |
| //name// | A string constant, variable, EQUATE, or expression containing the queryable item to set. Queryable items are established by the AddItem method. |
| //Lower// | A string constant, variable, EQUATE, or expression that specifies the filter's lower boundary--the query searches for values greater than //lower//. If you prefix the lower value with the equal sign (=), the query searches for values greater than or equal to //lower//. If omitted, SetLimit leaves the lower boundary intact. |
| //upper// | A string constant, variable, EQUATE, or expression that specifies the filter's upper boundary--the query searches for values less than //upper//. If you prefix the //upper// value with the equal sign (=), the query searches for values less than or equal to //upper//. If omitted, SetLimit leaves the upper boundary intact. |
| //equal// | A string constant, variable, EQUATE, or expression that specifies the filter's exact match--the query searches for values equal to //equal//. If you prefix the //equal //value with the greater sign (>), the query searches for values greater than or equal to //equal//; if you prefix the //equal //value with the less sign (<;), the query searches for values less than or equal to //equal//. If omitted, SetLimit leaves the exact match intact. |

The **SetLimit **method sets the QueryClass object's search values. The GetLimit method gets the QueryClass object's search values.

**Implementation:**

The GetFilter method generates filter expressions using the search values set by the Ask method, the SetLimit method, or both.

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**By default, the Ask method only sets the ****//equal //****to value; it does not set lower and upper values.**

The generated filter expression searches for values greater than //lower//, less than //upper//, and equal to //equal//. For string fields, the GetFilter method applies the following special meanings to these special search characters:

| **Symbol** | **Position** | **Filter Effect** |
| ^ | prefix | caseless (case insensitive) search |
| * | prefix | contains search |
| * | suffix | begins with search |
| //=// | prefix | inclusive search |
| > | prefix | exclusive search--greater than |
| <; | prefix | exclusive search--less than |

For example:

| **//lower//** | **//upper//** | **//equal//** | **query searches for** |
| fred |  |  | values > fred |
|  | fred |  | values <; fred |
|  |  | fred | values = fred |
| =fred |  |  | values >= fred |
|  | =fred |  | values <;= fred |
|  |  | >fred | values >= fred |
| fred | fred |  | values >= fred |
| fred | george | george | values <;= george AND values > fred |
|  |  | d* | values beginning with d (e.g., dog, david) |
|  |  | *d | values containing d (e.g., dog, cod) |
|  |  | ^d | values d and D |
|  |  | ^d* | values beginning with d or D (e.g., dog, David) |
|  |  | ^*d | values containing d or D (e.g., dog, cod, coD) |

**Example:**

**QueryClass.Ask       PROCEDURE(BYTE UseLast=1)**

**I USHORT,AUTO**

**EV CSTRING(1000),AUTO**

**  CODE**

**    SELF.Reset**

**    LOOP I = 1 TO RECORDS(SELF.Fields)**

**      GET(SELF.Fields,I)**

**      EV = CLIP(EVALUATE(SELF.Fields.Name))**

**      IF EV**

**        SELF.SetLimit(SELF.Fields.Name,,,EV)**

**      END**

**    END**

**    RETURN Level:Notify**

**See Also:     **[[additem  add field to query .htm|AddItem]], [[ask  a virtual to accept query criteria .htm|Ask]], [[getfilter  return filter expression .htm|GetFilter]], [[getlimit  get searchvalues .htm|GetLimit]]