I would like to use this more, but get confused sometimes grouping conditions together.  Finding the right feilds can be hard as well.

Jim

I know what you mean Jim, finding the fields in query builder is doubly difficult for us in the UK as half of them are in American

One thing that you can do is rename the fields as they appear in query builder. Obviously this is as job for the administrator (albeit an easy one), but it should help the problem of trying to translate what appears on the view to the name of the field in query builder.

I also train that showing you working helps prevent getting confused as to what conditions need to be grouped and where brackets etc should go. If you write it out in full English, then shorten it to key words, you can identify your fields, conditions and groupings as you work through it.

One rule I use for building queries is: If there is an AND and an OR, then you will need brackets.

Query building is a large subject and there is room for more than just one workshop on this me thinks.

Ben

As soon as a site goes live - one thing a good developer/BP should do is rename fields as Ben suggests to match up with the content and, even more important, is to hide any fields not in use ! How many of you use UserFields1-10 or 1/2 the ticket stuff (if any) if it's not used that often. Another, just as important job, is for the same person to review global joins - and hide any non-relevant tables so they don't appear in Query Builder (which speeds up the display of QB too !) - this makes it easier for users to find the relevant links and table/columns.

Mike Spragg:

 Another, just as important job, is for the same person to review global joins - and hide any non-relevant tables so they don't appear in Query Builder (which speeds up the display of QB too !) - this makes it easier for users to find the relevant links and table/columns.

This is a great point, all users have to see those many tables which they would never use! I think we can all learn from at least 1-2 workshops on this. I would request a workshop concetrating on this area and I could say that many people from our offices would be glad to online to practice this . 

Be careful if renaming fields.  I believe the previous posts refer to adding or changing the Description of a field.  I think this can impact lookups that are used in Forms, as they seem to be based on the Description of the field, not the Name. 

This might have changed in later versions of SalesLogix, but... take care. 

Thanks Paul! I should do a few description changes with my BP for starters...I wouldn't do it by myself, unless I feel confident enough to change these sort of major settings.
I can see clearly this may have an impact on SLX user’s behaviour though, with regards to confidence creating their own groups and stuff if we would to be changing DoF.

Sometimes users would be discouraged if they don't find straight away what field they should add, and so on...

Who knows?! Might be a way forward for internal training...
Creating a group, sharing a group, editing a group...these should be a common task of an SLX user, and I bet there is only 10-15% out there (without any too much technical / admin knowledge) who would do this on a regular basis.

Maybe that's only my view, but it would be interesting to know how other companies / offices are using SLX and what percentage of all features powered by SLX are used by a network/remote/web user on a daily/monthly basis...

Thanks again for your advice Paul! 

My pleasure, Robert.

Actually, I am going to the User Interaction design sessions at the Sage Insights conference in the USA next month, and I am going to try and persuade them to give the good 'ol Query Builder a facelift.  The one in Orbis TaskCentre, for example, is much nicer. 

Also, TaskCentre has an additional tool called a Data Modeller.  This allows developers to build "English language" views on the data that a user can understand.  It is clever because it also allow you to join multiple tables into one logical "entity" that the uer can understand.  For example, in SalesLogix you have Account, Address, and maybe also a custom table with additional fields about the Account.  The Data Modeller allows us to create a view that looks like one single table, with nice names for fields.

The SalesLogix Query Builder has been around since day 1 and it was pretty smart at the time.  In fact, it blew me aya when I first used it, but with modern GUIs and eneity-level modelling, it is a tad dated now.

Here's hoping!

For those who may have missed the notice on the Home Page, Brianna has scheduled a workshop on using the Query Builder -

http://www.goodtraining.com/blogs/goodworkshops/pages/using-the-query-builder-for-saleslogix-v6-2-and-above.aspx

You can register at the link above.

I believe this is a Basic 101 type of workshop.  Maybe a good follow on would be an Advanced workshop.

C

Paul Roussell:

Actually, I am going to the User Interaction design sessions at the Sage Insights conference in the USA next month, and I am going to try and persuade them to give the good 'ol Query Builder a facelift.  The one in Orbis TaskCentre, for example, is much nicer. "

 

That would be really fantastic! I'm looking forward for the update Paul! 

Good Info (this should be this website's next tab)  - again...I'm looking forward for may's workshop, as I have already registered for it! - so thanks Concierge!

Big fan of online webinars though....
Trying to pursue every SLX user to attend...so I'm sure it will be a succes!

Robert.