Searching in listboxes of numerics

[#1]

Hi,

I try to undestand how QlikView searches listbox with numbers

when user wirtes different expressions in a small separate windows

above of this listbox.

I have listbox in Tutorial Qlikview where is example for "Population (mio)".

1. When I write the exact value (for example "13.4"),
   the correct line is then selected and after ENTER it becomes green ... O.K.
2. When I write ">999", two correct lines are selected (1 194.43 and 1342.49)
   and after ENTER they become green ...O.K.
3. When I write "<999", fourteen corect lines are selected
   and after ENTER they become green ... O.K.
4. When I write "=999", 37 lines are selected and after ENTER they become green
   and here is my question: All these selected lines are less then 0 and greater then 1.
   Is it correct behaviour of QlikView or a bug?
   
   The same behavioure QlikView presents, when I write the only character: "=".

Thanks,

Mirek

[swuehl · Accepted solution]

Mirek,

I believe with just typing a number, you will actually performing a text search, so you should be able to find and select 13.4 also by just typing 1 or 13 and press enter (but this will also include the other values that starts with 1 or 13). So you perform a search matching your search phrase with the beginning of the values to search in.

When you use a preceding >, <, >= or <=, you will perform a numeric search as you stated (you can also combine to ranges, like >10<20)

When using a preceding equal sign, you are actually starting an advanced search (please check also the Help for search), where you basically define a boolean expression and QV will return all records where the expression returns true.

So, when entering =1, all records will be selected (same for any other number except 0).

You wouldn't use an advanced search with a constant, but with something like

=sum(Sales)>10000

when operating the search on a customer fields (select all customers with sum(Sales) larger than 10000).

I don't know why you get anything selected with just typing =, or what you described with "All these selected lines are less then 0 and greater then 1."

So it might be useful if you could post a small sample application so we see what you are talking about.

Regards,

Stefan

(please note that there are also different search modes available in list box properties)

[#3]

Stephan,

thank you very much for your GREAT answer. It have explained to me all my questions of numeric searching in listboxes!

And now to your questions:

1. My sentence "about less then 0 and greater then 1" was my MYSTAKE,
   I have find that ALL values were selected after my writing of "=999".
   I apologize for it!
   
   
2. And now I want to explain WHY I have written the sign "=".
   I wanted to indicated that I want to NUMERIC comparison, not STRING comparison.
   And when you explain it to me, I see thatQlikView uses Excel-like syntax for caling functions
   (with "=" prefix) and this was for me unknown till now.

So thank you very much for efficient answer and great examples (for ranges).

Mirek

[swuehl]

Maybe I am missing something, but if you want to search for exact value of e.g. 14 and you don't want 142 returned, you can use something like

=FIELD=14

[#5]

Thanks Stephan for your add,

it functiones exactly like you wrote:

• I have listbox Day with values 1, 2, ..., 31).
• I want to get exactly the value 2 (not list 2, 20, 21, 22 etc.).
• When I write like condition 2, I get list 2, 20, 21, ..., 29.
• When I write like condition =Day=2, I get only number 2.

Thank you.

Mirek