Setting up dynamic date filters in projectfacts
With the help of dynamic date filters, relative time periods based on the current date can be displayed and saved as a bookmark.
Many companies use filter functions to always be able to view a dynamic time window in reports. For example, management wants to always see the last three months in the financial report. With a static date filter, the time period would not adjust to the current date, meaning the time filter would have to be adjusted with every search. To avoid this effort, it is possible in projectfacts to filter dynamic time windows. Once the filter has been set up as desired, it can be saved as a bookmark or default setting. This function can be used for all filterable lists. We explain in this article how this dynamic filter works.
What is the structure of a dynamic date filter?
A command is structured as follows: (sign)(number)(time unit)(optional)
Sign:
”-” to go back time unit values
”+” to go forward time unit values
Number:
A whole number indicating the size of the steps.
Time unit:
“d” for day steps
“m” for month steps
“y” for year steps
Optional:
”+” for end of time unit
”-” for beginning of time unit
How do you use the filters?
To use dynamic filters, the command must be entered in a date field. (From / To)
The syntax must be followed, otherwise it will not work.
Step 1: Open filter dialog
Step 2: Enter command
Step 3: Press “Bookmark”
Step 4: In the “Save New” tab, activate default setting
After a session restart, the default view / filter should work at the latest
Examples
For a yearly overview of the current year:
From: “-0y-” and To: “+0y+”.
To display an overview of the last 3 months plus the current one:
From: “-3m-” and To: “+0m+”.
For a 1-month view in the past and future:
From: “-1m-” and To “+1m+“
Sources of error
If dynamic date filters do not work, this can have several causes:
- An attempt was made to use the filter directly in the filter dialog. This is not possible.
- Spelling errors in the command or failure to observe the syntax
- Forgetting to save / activate the default view
- If there is a space between individual characters in the command, this can also cause errors