Extended Query Descriptor

Extended query parameter - Descriptor conditions

Press button Add descriptor in the Query parameter tool strip to insert a new query condition for the search of specific values in the description summary data. A control representing a single descriptor filter will be added at the end of the query parameter list. Now you have to select the descriptor that shall be included in the search filter. This can be done by selecting the descriptor’s sequence number with combo box No.:, from an alphabetical descriptor list with combo box Descriptor: or by selecting from the descriptor tree with button (see picture below). 

 

After selecting the descriptor the query control shows query parameters depending on the descriptor type (see below). You may search for descriptions that do not have any data for the selected descriptor by checking option absent. The currently marked parameter control is shown with light blue background. You can delete the current query control by clicking on button Remove or all query controls by clicking on button in the Query parameter tool strip.

In the parameter control the descriptor type is indicated by symbols in the beginning of the first line ( categorical, quantitive, text or sequence). If additional information for the descriptor are available in the database, you can show them as bubble help by moving the mouse cursor over the symbol. If resource data are available for a descriptor, the symbol is displayed with coloured background and you can view them by double-clicking it (see image below).

   

Each parameter control has two main sections:

  • At the left you find the section for the descriptor parameter, depending on its type (Categorical states, Statistical measures, Descriptive text or Molecular sequence). If this section is checked and no other data have been entered, the query filters for all descriptions that include any value for that descriptor, e.g. any descriptive text or any categorical state. You may search for descriptions without descriptor data by checking option no value. By entering additional query data, the filter becomes more restrictive.  
  • At the right you find the section for the descriptor Status data. If this section is checked and no status value has been selected, the query filters for all descriptions that include any status data value for that descriptor. At the end of the Status data check box by default the symbol indicates that all selected data status values must be present in the matching descriptions. By checking dedicated status data values, the filter becomes more restrictive (logical AND). If you click on the symbol you can change it to (logical OR) to find matches for any of the selected status data values.  

If both sections are selected, matching descriptors must fulfill both conditions, i.e. the value must be present and the status data value must be set.

 

Notes

In the descriptive data you may enter free text notes to all text and sequence data. Furthermore individual notes may be entered for every selected categorical state and statistical measure. You may include additional query contitions for each of those notes, therefore the symbol is included at the appropriate places. To enter a query condition, click the button and a window as shown below will be opened.

You may enter a Search text that shall be part of the notes text. Capitalization is not taken into account. For option Contains the notes text must contain the search text. The options Starts with and Ends with only check the descriptor text begin rsp. end for a match. Finally option Exact match requires identical texts. Check the option Invert to invert the search criteria. You may use the wildcards _, [] and [^] in your search text, but not %. % is automatically inserted in the correct places by selecting the matching option.When you click OK the additional query condition will be active and the icon background changes to red (). If you want to remove the query condition, open the notes form, uncheck the Enable notes filter option and click OK.

For text and molecular sequence data exactly one note is possible for each descriptor value, therefore you find exactly one symbol for entering a query condition. For categorical and quantitative data you may enter a note for each single state rsp. statistical measure. Here you may search for notes of the specific state rsp. measure by clicking on the symbol located at the element. Additionally you may search for notes entered at any state or measure of the descriptor. Therefore an additional symbol is located in the header section besides the no value check box (see image above). 

 

Modifier and frequency

In categorical and quantitative descriptive data you may select modifier values for every selected categorical state and statistical measure. For categorical data additionally a frequency value may be selected. You may include additional query contitions for each of those modifier and frequency values, therefore the symbols (modifier) and (frequency) are included at the appropriate places. To enter a query condition, click the button and a window as shown below will be opened.

You may select the modifier rsp. frequency values for filtering from the recommended values of the current descriptor. Check the option Invert to invert the search criteria. A hint text explaining the resulting filter will be displayed in the lower area of the window. When you click OK the additional query condition will be active and the icon background changes to red (, ). If you want to remove the query condition, open the form, uncheck the Enable filter option and click OK.

 

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