Filters
Special purpose reports
are generated in two steps. First the
appropriate transactions are selected to be
included. Then this information is
presented in the desired form. The
selection process is called filtering.
The user enters the criteria, and the program
selects transactions accordingly. If
the report filters XE "filters:reports" on names, only transactions with the specified names will be picked up. Some windows within
ReportFilters
are obvious, and some merit careful explanation. The filtering function is widely flexible and capable. In other words, if you are going to master it, expect to work at it.
Clicking the Filters
button brings up the ReportFilters
window, and access to selecting which transactions will be included. The
Customize Reports window also has a
Filters
button. Please click this button. The first illustration and narrative are for QuickBooks 5. The
Filter
window for QuickBooks 4 and earlier is described at the end of the filters section under
EarlierVersions.
Choose Filter
has a list of 32 bases for filtering transactions into reports. Clicking on one of them will bring it
the name of this particular basis as the heading in the center area. In the example, the
Choose Filters column
shows a highlight on Customer Type,
which is also the name in the center.
To the right of
From Advertisement
is a down-arrow indicating that a list of customer types can be dropped
. The type selected was
From Advertisement,
so that type is a filtering criterion. Many of the bases, such as
names, accounts, or classes have similar scroll-down lists. The first (and default) choice is usually
All. The
second will be in the style of
Selected Accounts or Selected Names.
Scrolling up and clicking on this, you
can set up a selection list. Any transaction will be included if it contains any entity on the list.
Some bases run differently. For example,
Amount
will select transactions equal to, greater than, or less than
some dollar value. You can include only paid invoices, or only unpaid.
The last basis in
Choose Filter is Source,
which was critical in earlier versions but has no apparent function in
QuickBooks 5. The permanent selection is
All accounts.
icon note
Filtering works on a logical “and” basis. Transactions will be included only if they meet one filtering criterion
and then the next, until they have met all of the filtering criteria.
Current Choices
box lists the filter bases currently set up and criteria set up within those bases.
Account
controls which accounts will appear in the report. Remember that QuickBooks is double entry
accounting. Each original entry has one or more opposing entries. For both ends to be in the report, both
must meet the filtering criteria.
icon note
TheP&L and
Custom
reports, and any other summarizing reports, have overall filtering so that only income
and expense accounts are reported. (Transfers between balance sheet accounts cannot be reported.)
The view was set up to show the capabilities of the facility. The criteria shown actually proved to be such a
fine sieve that the report was empty.
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