Applying Time-Based Record Selection

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to display records based on a specific time period.

Record Selection Based on a Date

You can select records based on a Date or DateTime field.

The image shows a software interface titled Select Expert -- Record, where a user is configuring a filter for Orders.Order Date with the condition is in the period set to YearToDate, alongside buttons for OK, Cancel, Help, New..., Delete, Browse..., Formula Editor..., and Hide Formula <<<, with the formula field displaying the expression {Orders.Order Date} in YearToDate in a straightforward, functional workspace.

You may want to see all the sales reps that have placed five or more orders in the past month.

To do this, you would create a record selection using the appropriate date and, if needed, formula fields in the Select Expert.

If you need a report that shows each staff member that had been hired between a certain time period, the easiest method is to use the "is between" option in the Select Expert.

Hint

Watch out for "is between" and "is less than" when entering dates. If no time is entered, the program assumes you meant "midnight" and you might miss an entire day’s results.

You could also use "is in the period" or "is not in the period." This method provides you with options to select a predetermined start and finish date for the period of time you request based on the computer system clock.

Apply a Time-Based Record Selection

In this exercise, you will apply a time-based record selection.

Summary

  • Use tools like the Select Expert to choose records based on a specific Date or DateTime field.
  • Be careful using options like "is between" or "is less than" to ensure you don't miss data due to default time settings.