[rt-users] Query Builder documentation

[Matthew Watson]

Hi,

 

FYI. RT 3.2.2

 

 I was wondering if anyone has written up documentation for using the
Query builder (couldn't really find anything useful in the wiki).

 

I somewhat understand how it works, although it still seems to do
unexpected things at times, or just plan refuses to do them at other
times, and if I'm having issues then I'm sure our accounts people are
too :-)

 

It seems fine for doing a query full of "AND"'s or "OR"'s, but once you
start mixing them, you need to shuffle it around a lot to get the query
how you want it, and sometimes it seems impossible to get it how you
want it..

 

Even using the advanced builder doesn't always do what I would expect,

 

An example, I would think I should be able to build this

 

Owner = 'Nobody' 

AND ( Status = 'new'  or Status = 'open' ) 

AND (  Queue = 'Bugs'  

OR Queue = 'Faults'  ) 

AND (  LastUpdated < 'Today'  

          OR ( Due > '1970-01-01'  AND LastUpdated > 'Yesterday' ) )

 

However, when I apply this, I end up with

 

Owner = 'Nobody'  

AND ( Status = 'new'  or Status = 'open' ) 

AND ( Queue = 'Bugs'  OR Queue = 'Faults' ) 

AND ( LastUpdated < 'Today'  AND ( Due > '1970-01-01'  AND LastUpdated >
'Yesterday' ) )

 

Almost there, except the OR between LastUpdated and Due has been
converted into an AND, and nothing I do will let me change it back.
Perhaps its just that nesting like that is not allowed, but if that is
the case, an error would be nice rather than it happily changing the
query? Actually building this query using the "graphical" builder is a
major lesson in frustration, as bits of the query jump all over the
place while trying to group parts of the query and  "AND"'s turn to "OR"
and visa versa for no apparent reason.

 

 

So, the question really is, I'm I just not understanding how to
correctly use the query builder, or is it flawed (and if so, is it fixed
in 3.4)? If it's the former, does anyone have the documentation so I can
explain to all our staff how to successfully build complex queries?

 

Ps.. sorry for the rant :-)

 

 

Regards

 

--

Matthew Watson

Netspace Online Systems

(03) 98110010

 


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