Filter UI explained

1-7: Filter Types

The numbers 1 to 7 are the available filter types. You can add a filter definition either by clicking on the filter type button or by using drag and drop and dropping the filter type in one of the condition groups.

1: Question filters

Question filters help you set up filter based on the questions found in the survey. You can set filters based on any question.

For filters setup within surveys it is important that the filter is set based on questions that precede the element you want to set the filter on.

2: Sample / Panel filters

This type of filter allows you to filter based on member variables, for e.g. the gender variable. Also custom variables of your sample can be used.

3: Device filters

Device filters allow you to filter based on the used device in terms of “Desktop / Tablet” and “Smartphone”.

4: URL variable filters

The URL variable filter allow you to filter based on the URL variables that can be part of the survey link.

5: Calculation filters

This filter type is only available on the build page of the survey and is not available in reports.

The calculation filters allow you to compare multiple calculations. Each side of the operator can execute it’s own calculation:

6: Interview filters

The interview filter allow you to filter based on interview variables.

On the survey build page the filter capabilities are limited to the interview language.

For reports it also includes the following variables:

7: Custom variable filters

Custom variable filters are only available for professional licenses and higher.

With value assignment elements it is possible to create custom variables. See value assignments for more information.

8: Filter condition group

The container with the light blue background represents a filter group. Filter groups can be interpreted as brackets around the conditions inside that group.

As soon as at least 2 groups exist you can move and delete the groups with the controls in the top right corner:

So this example:

Could be interpreted as:

(employment = 2 AND quality_3 > 3)

OR

(employment = 1 AND quality_1 > 3)

A way more interesting case, this makes possible is a case like this:

(employment = 1 OR employment = 2)

AND

(quality_1 > 3)

9: General filter / filter group setup

Survey build page

On the survey build page only the first group has a setup definition, which defines the initial state of the element.

• “Show this element” = Element is initially hidden. The conditions define when to show the element.
• “Hide this element” = Element is initially shown. The conditions define when to hide the element.

For validation elements are always hidden until the next button is clicked, but the definitions handle when and how validations are passed. The definitions are:

• “Show error” = Validations pass until the condition is met.
• “Hide error” = Validations do not pass until the condition is met.

Dashboard Report builder

On the report builder pages, wherever you can set up filters, the following setup settings are available per condition group.

• “Include into calculation” = Defines the conditions for interviews to be included into the calculation.
• “Exclude from calculation” = Defines the conditions for interviews to be excluded from the calculation

Since both can be set up within one filter definition, the data filters can be much shorter and easier to setup.

As an example let’s imagine our interviews as a box of toys. We define two conditions:

1. Include Car, Doll, and Ball: You start by putting a car, a doll, and a ball into your toy box. So, your toy box looks like this: {car, doll, ball}.
2. Exclude Ball: Now, you have a rule that says you don’t want any balls in your toy box. So, you need to take the ball out.

Putting it all together:

• You start with your toy box: {car, doll, ball}.
• You apply the “exclude ball” rule, which means you remove the ball from the toy box.

After removing the ball, your final toy box (or set) is {car, doll}.

So, even though you initially included the ball, the rule to exclude it means you end up with just the car and the doll in your toy box.

And this is the way how “include” and “exclude” can work together.

10-13: Condition row

When a filter type is added, it adds it’s own condition row. Condition rows are always part of a condition group.

Each filter condition row is set up the same basic way:

1. Variable selection
   • Identifying the variable you want to base your filter on
2. Operator
   • defining what is checked for. For example “equals” or “greater than”
3. Comparator
   • The value that is checked against.

10: Variable selection

The first part of any filter condition is the identification of the variable used to filter data. For most question types you can select the question in the first drop down. But sometimes, for example for matrix questions, you need to select the variable in the second dropdown to identify the variable for your filter condition.

11: Operator

The available operators are defined either by the question type or by the data type of the variable.

Each question type is a little bit different, but they share a lot of the operators based on their data type:

Type: Integer

Type: Real

Type: String

Type: Date

12: Value

The value is the comparator, so the value the system is comparing against.

As seen above, the data type defines what type of value input is available.

13: Moving or deleting a filter condition row

Each individual filter row can be moved by using the drag indicator

and by drag and drop moving it into the wanted position. Also into other groups.

To delete a filter condition row you can use the trash icon

next to the row.

14 + 15: Logical connectors

The logical connector between conditions define how they operate together.

To explain the difference in simple terms let’s imagine you have two toys: a teddy bear and a toy car.

OR means you need at least one toy to be happy. So, if you have the teddy bear or the toy car, you’re happy. Even if you have both, you’re still happy. But if you have none, you’re not happy.

AND means you need both toys to be happy. So, if you have the teddy bear and the toy car, you’re happy. But if you only have one of them or none, you’re not happy.

To visualize these connections lets imagine a light bulb that only lights up if the right switch:

So basically, when combining conditions with the AND operator, a combined condition is created. When combining conditions with an OR operator, the conditions are dealt with individually.

16: Add condition & Add condition group

With “Add condition” you open a context menu that allows you to add a new condition at the end of the condition group:

The “Add condition group” button allows you to add other condition groups to your filter definition.