OurTown2 Query Handbook

OT2 Query Maker User Guide

Introduction

Welcome to OT2 Query Maker, a tool for extracting meaningful information from your computer database. OT2 Query Maker simplifies the process of executing and creating your own queries and reports.

Features of OT2 Query Maker

Uses everyday language

Database programmers work with language limitations that often result in cryptic abbreviations. OT2 Query Maker solves this problem by:

· Displaying field names in plain English phrases.

· Listing comparison options in plain English rather than in mathematical symbols

· Letting you focus on results rather than on programming logic.

Offers a full range of analysis options

You can find data by picking up to 18 different comparison operators. Operators use English terminology like: Begins with, Ends with, Exactly matches and Sounds like.

You can easily summarize the data you find. You can calculate totals, averages, counts or find the largest or smallest values.

Lets you build complex query scenarios

Each query can contain up to 10 conditions (such as "cost is greater than $100"). Each condition can contain up to 12 comparison values (e.g., "dept equals Public Works and Division equals Streets") allowing for a total of 120 comparisons per query.

Furthermore, you can connect the conditions with AND/OR logic and specify parentheses to clarify the order of operations for your conditions. For example, "amount is greater than $100 and (division equals Streets OR division equals Parks)".

Fully exploits the relationships in your data

OT2 Query Maker extracts meaningful information even when it’s spread across different tables in your database. This enables you to see all the needed information together in one set.

For example, this would allow you to see the materials used by each department even though items expended and department details are stored in two different tables.

Eliminates tedious and repetitive work.

OT2 Query Maker automatically saves your settings so you won't have to respecify them every time you run a query. You can give each query a descriptive title to make it easy to recognize every time you need it.

You can also copy and then modify existing queries instead of writing each new one from scratch.

When you want to view sets of information based on changing values, OT2 Query Maker lets you create fill-in queries. For example, suppose you want to run weekly sales reports for totals over a certain threshold, but the minimum threshold changes. Every time you run this query, OT2 Query Maker will ask you to fill in the minimum sales threshold.

Delivers results in the most useful formats

OT2 Query Maker can display results in the form of:

· On-screen tabular views (a browse window)

· Reports

· Text files

· Mail-merge files

· Databases

· Lotus or Excel spreadsheets

When you output the query to a report, OT2 Query Maker helps you modify the page layout and preview the results on screen before printing. The modified report form is saved as part of the query for future use.

Flexibility in shaping how your queries work

You have the power to set up each query to work exactly the way you want:

· Select which fields should appear in the query results.

· Arrange the fields in any order.

· Pick up to nine fields to sort on, with ascending or descending order for each field.

· Select up to three fields for grouping results.

· Specify any number of summaries: averages, totals, counts, maximum or minimum values.

· Eliminate or include duplicate records at your option.

· Browse the results in a tabular view before outputting the information to a report or a file.

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