Filter questions

[Sophie]

I expect to use custom filters extensively and have several questions:

- Why is Tools->Filter Documents menu item overloaded to
- run (or clear) the previous filter
- define a new filter

- How do I EDIT an existing filter? Whenever I try to ADD or REMOVE from an existing filter definition it automatically changes to NEW FILTER. This is very non-intuitive.

- I cannot EDIT an existing name or element of a filter e.g. "d contains c1". It appears I must remove it, then re-create it. Why?

- If I run a filter, then clear the filter, and then want to edit the filter I see NO way to do it without re-running the filter and then clicking MODIFY.

- When I run a filter I do not see any of the context for the matches e.g. the columns, the parents in the nested structure, etc. Can the filter be made to show enough context to be useful?

[Petko]

- Why is Tools->Filter Documents menu item overloaded to
- run (or clear) the previous filter
- define a new filter

In fact, selecting Tools > Filter Documents does not create a new filter. It shows the old filter/filter results. However, please note that each topic has it's own filter dialog. So if you select Tools > Filter Documents while other topic is focused, a new filter is open. This is by design and we choose that way because in general people store different kind of data in every topic and need different filters for each topic.

So, selecting Tools > Filter Documents more than once on the same topic brings the old filter/results.
Selecting Tools > Filter Documents on other topic, creates new filter.

- How do I EDIT an existing filter? Whenever I try to ADD or REMOVE from an existing filter definition it automatically changes to NEW FILTER. This is very non-intuitive.

I agree that this can be improved. I will add it to our todo list for the next versions.

- I cannot EDIT an existing name or element of a filter e.g. "d contains c1". It appears I must remove it, then re-create it. Why?

This is so by design. Because if we enable editing of the items in the list in the same controls, where new items are created, it will become frustrating for the user. She will never be able to understand if she is editing an existing criterion or creating a new one.

- If I run a filter, then clear the filter, and then want to edit the filter I see NO way to do it without re-running the filter and then clicking MODIFY.

I am not sure that I understand you here. How do you "clear" the filter? If you mean closing the filter results, then all you need to do in order to edit the filter is to select Tools > Filter Documents and click Modify.

- When I run a filter I do not see any of the context for the matches e.g. the columns, the parents in the nested structure, etc. Can the filter be made to show enough context to be useful?

This is not possible yet, but it is in our plans to offer more information about the documents in the filter results in the next versions.