Include / Exclude filter - boolean logic

[dale]

in particular when we have cases with multiple custodians we sometimes get questions like: How can I limit my searches to custodian A's items from 2014?

 

Currently Connect combines the inclusion and exclusion filters with 'OR' logic. So, applying the filters 'include custodian A' and 'include year 2014' will not yield the desired result.

 

There are several approaches to this. Examples:

1. Introduce simple switches that change the logic of the include and exclude filters from OR to AND and vice versa
2. Introduce an expert-mode 'advanced' button where the logic of the applied filters can be changed. Specifically it should be able to group conditions and to use/change operators such as AND, OR, NOT.

Personally I feel both might be useful. The simple logic-switch for the less experienced and then the advanced logic 'editor' for the experienced.

 

Many thanks!

Dominique

[ŁukaszBachman]

Hi Dominique,

 

I think we've had few such requests before, but I'm always wondering why not to use the Cluster Map to derive such results? After all, the Cluster Map can be think off as a general-purpose, complex AND-OR query builder! Perhaps I'm oversimplifying this a bit, because you probably don't want to do that on a large set of queries. However, for a simple example as  you described, isn't that easier?

 

 

On the image above one simply searches for items associated with Lukasz and from items from the specific time period. The small cluster in the middle with 12 results is therefore a set of items that ends up in both queries, and maps to the "AND" operator that you was after.

[dale]

I am with you there Lukasz. The cluster map is highly valuable and does offer this functionality.
However, recent experience has brought up a few occasions where users were using keyword lists that already themselves contained more complex queries. Then these queries were to be combined with filters such as (custodian A OR custodian AND year=2014. This then goes beyond what can be reasonably done with the cluster map.

 

Just as a thought... what about creating the option of being able to run (several) searches as usual, but then to be able to right-click a bubble / object or a selection of objects in the resulting cluster map. The context menu would then include the options 'Add as EXCLUDE filter' and 'Add as INCLUDE filter'? This would allow for the creation of fairly complex filters even by novice users. It would enable the creation of the filter used as an example above as part of a first step that could then be followed by the step of running the keyword queries.