Navigation: ABC Library Reference > QueryClass > QueryClass Methods >====== GetFilter (return filter expression)  ====== |    |
GetFilter
The GetFilter method returns a filter expression. The GetFilter method builds the expression from values supplied by the AddItem, Ask, and SetLimit methods.
Implementation:
The returned filter expression is up to 5000 characters long.
The GetFilter method generates filter expressions using the search values set by the Ask method, the SetLimit method, or both.
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) |
Return Data Type: STRING
Example:
MyBrowseClass.TakeLocate PROCEDURE
CurSort USHORT,AUTO
I USHORT,AUTO
CODE
IF ~SELF.Query&=NULL AND SELF.Query.Ask() !get query input from end user
CurSort = POINTER(SELF.Sort) !save current sort order
LOOP I = 1 TO RECORDS(SELF.Sort)
PARENT.SetSort(I) !step thru each sort order
SELF.SetFilter(SELF.Query.GetFilter(),'9-QBE') !get filter expression from Query
END ! and give it to Browse object
PARENT.SetSort(CurSort) !restore current sort order
SELF.ResetSort(1) !apply the filter expression
END