Explorer GUI › Right Pane View › Create a Filter

Create a Filter

Using the Define Filter dialog, you can create a presentation filter to set criteria for displaying the content of the columns in the right pane. Only items that match the set criteria are displayed. Each criterion consists of a column name, a condition, and an expression. More than one criterion can be set for a given node.

Note: When using the Define Filter dialog to create presentation filters, the regexp match condition is not supported by all nodes. Typically, nodes displaying virtual lists, such as computer groups, server groups, and so on, do not support this condition. Therefore, you cannot select the regexp match condition for the following Explorer nodes and all groups below each of these nodes: Computer and Users; Control Panel, Domains; Control Panel, Scalability Servers; Software, Definitions, Categories; and Policies.

To create a presentation filter

1. Click Filter in the View menu.

   The Define Filter dialog appears.

2. Select one of the enabled criteria options in the Overall Filter Condition section. These options specify which enabled criteria must be fulfilled to display the items. Valid values are as follows:
   • Match all enabled criteria
   • Match one or more enabled criteria

   The default setting is Match one or more enabled criteria.

3. Click Column in the Define Expression group box and select a column content type from the drop-down list.

   Available content types include Name, Description, Protocol, Status, Type, OS, Agent Registered, and so on, depending on the installed plug-ins. For each available column, one of the following data types is associated internally with its content: Text, Integer, Time, Date, DateTime, and Enum.

   Example: With the All Computers node highlighted, select the Agent Registered column in the Define Filter dialog. The DateTime data type is associated with this column, and the Value field displays the current date and time.

4. Select one of the supported conditions from the Condition field drop-down list. These conditions—matches, doesn't match, regexp, and so on—vary depending on the column or data type.

   Note: Selecting a specific column for a specific node may limit the supported conditions.

5. Enter any string of characters in the Value field.

   You can also use the following wildcard characters if you did not select regexp match in the Condition field:

   • ? for an individual character
   • * for one, or more, characters

   If you selected the regexp match condition, the Value list of supported metacharacters become available.

   Note: The right arrow (>) button is only enabled when the condition is set to regexp match. The regexp match condition is not supported by all nodes; see your plug-in specific documentation for details.

6. After you finish creating an expression, click Add to List.

   The filter parameters are added to the Show Items that Match These Criteria list view at the top of the dialog.

   Note: Optionally, you can remove a single expression by selecting it and clicking Remove. To remove all of the listed expressions, click Remove All.

7. Select the expression's check box.

   Note: If the check box is not selected, the expression does not take effect when the dialog is closed. Instead, it is saved in a personal user registry.

8. Close the dialog.

   The filter is created, and the expression takes effect when the dialog closes.