Generic Inquiry

Form ID: (SM208000)

By using this form, you can create inquiries on the fly, without programming. You can view how the selected or newly designed inquiry looks, and you can test its functionality by selecting parameters and viewing the results.

Form Toolbar

The form toolbar includes standard buttons and form-specific buttons and commands. For the list of standard buttons, see Form Toolbar and More Menu. The form-specific commands can be shown as buttons on the form toolbar, as commands on the More menu, or in both places. These commands are listed in the following table in alphabetical order.


Command	Description
Change Inquiry Title	Opens the Change Inquiry Title dialog box, in which you can enter the new title for the generic inquiry and click OK. If the specified title is not unique, the system displays an error; you can enter another title. If the title is unique, the system closes the dialog box and inserts the new title in the Inquiry Title box. You must save the generic inquiry with the new title.
Change Screen ID	Opens the Change Screen ID dialog box, in which you can enter the new screen ID for the generic inquiry and click OK to close the dialog box and begin the processing of the screen ID change. If this screen ID is not unique, the system displays an error on the form toolbar indicating that you need to enter another screen ID. If the processing of the change is successful, the system saves the generic inquiry with the new screen ID and changes this screen ID in all the system objects that are related to this generic inquiry.
Export as Report	Exports data access class information from the generic inquiry to an .rpx file, which can be used in MYOB Advanced Report Designer as a basis for a report.
View Inquiry	Displays the inquiry form resulting from the settings specified for the generic inquiry selected on the current form.

Summary Area

In this area, you can specify the titles to be used for the newly created generic inquiry and for the corresponding generic inquiry form in the site map. Also, for the created inquiry form, you can specify how to arrange the inquiry parameter elements (if applicable) and how many resulting records are displayed.


Element	Description
Inquiry Title	The title to be used for the inquiry form. You can type a name to add a new inquiry, or select an inquiry for editing from the list of existing inquiries. In the list, the Expose via OData check box is selected for the inquiries that can be accessed through the OData interface. For more information on exposing generic inquiries through OData, see Exposing an Inquiry by Using OData.
Make Visible on the UI	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the inquiry will be published when you save the inquiry with the required settings specified. This means that a screen identifier will be assigned to the inquiry form and the form will be added to the site map; the form can be accessed from the specified workspace. When you clear the Make Visible on the UI check box and save the inquiry, the system removes the inquiry from the site map and clears the following boxes: Site Map Title, Workspace, Category, and Screen ID. If you publish the inquiry again, the system will assign the next available screen ID by using the internal system numbering sequence. (This internal numbering sequence cannot be accessed on the UI for review or modification.) Tip: The screen ID, title, workspace, and category of a form can be modified on the Site Map (SM200520) form.
Site Map Title	The name of the inquiry form as it will be displayed on the site map. You can enter any name by using alphabetic or numeric characters. You must specify the site map title if you want to replace an entry form with this inquiry form or expose this inquiry through the OData interface. This box is available for editing if the Make Visible on the UI check box is selected for the inquiry. For more information, see Exposing an Inquiry by Using OData and Making a Generic Inquiry a Substitute Form.
Workspace	The name of the workspace in the user interface from which the generic inquiry can be accessed. This box is available for editing if the Make Visible on the UI check box is selected for the inquiry. For details on the automatic assignment of a workspace and category, see Categories and Workspaces for Entities of Specific Forms.
Category	The name of the category under which the inquiry will be displayed in the selected workspace. This box is available for editing if the Make Visible on the UI check box is selected for the inquiry. For details on the automatic assignment of a workspace and category, see Categories and Workspaces for Entities of Specific Forms.
Screen ID	The identifier of the form related to the generic inquiry. The system automatically assigns the identifier when you save the generic inquiry if the Make Visible on the UI check box is selected for the inquiry. If the check box is cleared, the system does not assign an identifier. If an identifier has been assigned and you have cleared the check box, the system clears the box value and removes the inquiry from the site map. The automatically assigned identifier starts with GI and then has a six-digit number that follows the number assigned to the most recent generic inquiry created in the system. For example, if the most recently created generic inquiry has the GI000001 identifier, the newly created generic inquiry is assigned the GI000002 identifier. (The numbering sequence is not used by customizations that have generic inquiries with IDs of a different format.) The maximum number of generic inquiries in the system is 999999. If you exceed this value, an error message will be displayed. Tip: The screen ID, title, workspace, and category of an inquiry can be modified on the Site Map (SM200520) form. Attention: If you want to import a generic inquiry, make sure that its identifier does not coincide with any generic inquiry identifier that already exists in the system.
Show Deleted Records	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the DeletedDatabaseRecords data field is available for adding to the inquiry results on the Results Grid tab of the form for any table added on the Tables tab of the form. With the check box selected and the data field added, the system will display column with the deleted records on the inquiry form. By default, the Is Deleted caption is used for this column. If you will be displaying deleted records for multiple tables, we recommend entering a descriptive caption for each of these columns in the Caption column of the Results Grid tab.
Show Archived Records	A check box that indicates (if selected) that archived records can be displayed on the generic inquiry form.
Expose via OData	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the selected inquiry is available through the OData interface. If you want to expose an inquiry, make sure that the title and the workspace of the inquiry are specified in the Site Map Title and Workspace boxes, and review the access rights configured for the inquiry. For more information, see Exposing an Inquiry by Using OData and Managing User Access.
Expose to the Mobile Application	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the generic inquiry is displayed in the Advanced OnTheGo mobile app connected to this MYOB Advanced site. If the check box is selected, a user of the Advanced OnTheGo mobile app can view this generic inquiry on the main menu of the application. By default, the check box is cleared.
Arrange Parameters in xcolumns	The number of columns in which the elements for parameters should be arranged in the Selection area of the inquiry form.
Select Top x records	The maximum number of records to be displayed as results. Tip: When a user is viewing a generic inquiry, if the number of displayed records is limited by the Select Top x Records box, a warning icon is displayed indicating this.
Records per Page	The maximum number of records to be displayed on the page.
Export Top x Records	The maximum number of records that can be exported to Microsoft Excel from the generic inquiry form when a user clicks Export to Excel on the table toolbar.
Attach Notes To	A drop-down list in which you can select the table to which files and notes should be attached in the resulting generic inquiry form, or you can instead disable any attachments. The drop-down list includes the tables listed on the Relations tab and the Not Applicable option, which is selected by default for newly created generic inquiries and disables attachments. If you select a table in this box, a user who is working with the grid of the resulting generic inquiry form can attach files and notes to any of the listed records of the table. If you select the Not Applicable option, the user cannot attach any file or note to a record of the resulting generic inquiry form. This box was added to MYOB Advanced in 2021 R1 because in previous versions, if a user tried to attach a file or note to a record in the grid of a generic inquiry form, the file or note was sometimes attached to a record of a different internal table. After an upgrade to 2021 R1 or a later version of the system, for a generic inquiry that had been created in an earlier version of MYOB Advanced, the Attach Notes To box is empty. As was the case in previous versions, if a user tries to attach a file or note, the file or note may be attached to a record of a different internal table than the record that the user expected.

Tables Tab

The Tables tab holds the list of data access classes (DACs) to be used for the inquiry—that is, the DACs that are used to represent the data from the system database tables.

Table 1. Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Add Related Table	Opens the Related Tables dialog box, where you can configure a relation between a parent table and a child table. In the Related Tables dialog box, when you specify a pair of tables—that is, a parent table and a child table—the system automatically inserts a statement in the Relation box that represents the relation between the parent table and the child table.

Table 2. Table Columns
Column	Description
Table Name	The name of the DAC that provides access to database tables. You can click the magnifier icon to open the dialog box and select a DAC from the list of available DACs. The dialog box has the following tabs: Most Used: This tab opens by default and shows the list of DACs with Display Name value that is not empty. All Records: This tab shows all the available DACs. After you have added a DAC, its name is displayed as a link. If you click the link, the DAC Schema Browser opens with the DAC selected.
Alias	The alias to be used in SQL statements to designate the table. If no alias is specified, the Table Name is used.

Relations Tab

In the Table Relations table of this tab, you can specify relations between pairs of tables. For each pair of related tables, you specify links between the columns of these two tables in the Data Field Links for Active Relations table.

Table 3. Table Relations Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Add Related Table	Opens the Related Tables dialog box, where you can configure a relation between a parent table and a child table. In the Related Tables dialog box, when you specify a pair of tables—that is, a parent table and a child table—the system automatically inserts a statement in the Relation box that represents the relation between the parent table and the child table.

Table 4. Table Relations Table ColumnsIn this table, you specify relations between pairs of tables.
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the record is active and is used to specify relations.
Parent Table	The name (alias) of the first table in a JOIN statement of SQL.
Join Type	The type of JOIN between participating tables, which can be one of the following options: Inner: Returns rows when there is at least one match in both tables. Right: Returns all rows from the right table, even if there are no matches in the left table. Left: Returns all rows from the left table, even if there are no matches in the right table. Full: Returns rows when there is a match in one of the tables. Cross: Returns all records in which each row from the first table is combined with each row from the second table. The size of a resulting set is the number of rows in the first table multiplied by the number of rows in the second table. You can concatenate multiple joining conditions between different parent tables to the same child table into one ON clause. For example, if you cross join Custom Week and Employees, you can also join time cards that exist for the Custom Week-Employees pairs.
Child Table	The second table to be used in the JOIN statement.

Table 5. Data Field Links for Active Relation Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Add Relations	Opens the Related Tables dialog box to view the configured relation between a parent and child table. In the Related Tables dialog box, you can view the configured relation between a pair of tables—that is, a parent table and a child table. You can also configure the relation between a new pair of tables.

Table 6. Data Field Links for Active Relation Table ColumnsIn this area, you define links between pairs of fields for the related tables selected in the Table Relations table.
Element	Description
Brackets	The opening bracket or brackets for composing a logical expression with multiple conditions.
Parent Field	The field from the parent table. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.
Condition	One of the following logical conditions: Equals: Returns TRUE if the value of the specified parent field is equal to the value of the specified child field Does Not Equal: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is not equal to the child field value Is Greater Than: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is greater than the child field value Is Greater Than or Equal To: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is greater than or equal to the child field value Is Less Than: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is less than the child field value Is Less Than or Equal To: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is less than or equal to the child field value Is Between: Is not applicable for parent and child field values Contains: Returns TRUE if the parent field value (string) contains the child field value Ends With: Returns TRUE if the parent field value ends with the same character or string as the child field value contains Starts With: Returns TRUE if the parent field value contains at the beginning the child field value Is Empty: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is empty (null) Is Not Empty: Returns TRUE if the parent field value is not empty (not null)
Child Field	The field from the second table. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.
Brackets	The closing bracket or brackets for composing a logical expression with multiple conditions.
Operator	The logical operator between conditions, which can be And or Or.

Parameters Tab

You use the Parameters tab to specify the types of fields to be used in the parameters area of the inquiry form.

Table 7. Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Move Row Up	Moves the selected row up by one row.
Move Row Down	Moves the selected row down by one row.
Combo Box Values	Brings up the Combo Box Values dialog box, which you can use to enter the options to be used for the drop-down list for this parameter.

Table 8. Table Columns
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the parameter is active and will be added to the inquiry area that provides fields for inquiry parameters.
Is Required	A check box that indicates (if selected) that this field is required on the inquiry form.
Name	The name of the parameter.
Schema Field	The type of control to be used for the parameter in the Selection area of the resulting inquiry form. You can select one of the following: <Checkbox>: A check box will be used for the parameter. <Combobox>: A drop-down list will be used for the parameter. If you select this control, you need to define the list of options that will be available in the drop-down list. You specify these options in the Combo Box Values dialog box, which you can invoke by clicking Combo Box Values on the table toolbar with this row selected. Field name: A lookup box that has a corresponding lookup table will be used as the parameter. For example, if you specify a field name that is a date field, then when a user clicks in the lookup box, a calendar will be displayed. The list of field names includes the names of fields of all tables added on the Tables tab of the current form for the selected inquiry. Empty: A data input field will be used as the parameter.
Display Name	The name for the field to be displayed on the form.
From Schema	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the default value can be selected from the predefined values of the field name selected in the Schema Field column. If a field name is selected in the Schema Field column and you select the From Schema check box, in the Default Value column, a lookup box, drop-down list, or check box (depending on the control type of the selected schema field) is displayed.
Default Value	The default value of the field. If the From Schema check box is selected in this row, the system presents the appropriate control in the Default Value column, and you can select the default value or select or clear the check box (if the schema field is a check box). If the From Schema check box is cleared in this row, in the Default Value column, you can enter any value of the field. For data fields of the date type that are based on schema fields, you can select one of the following date-relative parameters in the Calendar dialog box: @Today: The current day. @WeekStart and @WeekEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current week. The start and end of the week are determined according to the default system locale or the locale the user has selected when signing in to MYOB Advanced. The system locales are specified and configured on the System Locales (SM200550) form. @MonthStart and @MonthEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current month. @QuarterStart and @QuarterEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current quarter. @PeriodStart and @PeriodEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current financial period. The financial periods are defined on the Financial Year (GL101000) form. For more information on financial periods in MYOB Advanced, see Managing Financial Periods. @YearStart and @YearEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current calendar year. All the date-relative parameters use the date of the server used to run the MYOB Advanced instance as the current date. Additionally, you can modify the date-relative parameters by adding or subtracting integers. The unit of measure of the parameter is determined automatically and the reference point is moved according to the measurement of the parameter—for example, @WeekStart+1 relate to the start of the next week.
Column Span	The number of columns in the parameters area on the inquiry form this column will span.
Control Size	The width of the grid column.

Table 9. Combo Box Values Dialog Box
On this dialog box, you can specify options for a drop-down list for the combo-box field that will be used as the parameter field for the inquiry. This dialog box has the following elements.
Element	Description
Value	The value assigned to an option to be added to the combo-box list.
Label	A text string to be displayed as an option.
The dialog box has the following button.
OK	Saves the combo-box options for the parameter.

Conditions Tab

On this tab, you can specify the conditions to be met for the rows to be returned; the system uses these conditions to generate the WHERE SQL request.

To include a parameter value in any condition, use the [ParameterName] format. You configure the fields for inquiry parameters (to be displayed in the Selection area of the new generic inquiry form) on the Parameters tab of the current form; once they have been configured, they appear on the list of fields shown in the Data Field column on this tab.

Table 10. Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Move Row Up	Moves the selected row up by one position.
Move Row Down	Moves the selected row down by one position.

Table 11. Table Columns
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the row is an active condition.
Brackets	The opening bracket or brackets for composing a logical expression with multiple conditions.
Data Field	The field whose value the condition should be applied to.
Condition	One of the following logical conditions, which will be applied to the value of the field specified as the Data Field and the values in the Value 1 and Value 2 fields, if applicable: Equals: Returns TRUE if the value of the Data Field field is equal to the value specified as Value 1. Does Not Equal: Returns TRUE if the field value is not equal to the Value 1 value. Is Greater Than: Returns TRUE if the field value is greater than the Value 1 value. Is Greater Than or Equal To: Returns TRUE if the field value is greater than or equal to the Value 1 value. Is Less Than: Returns TRUE if the field value is less than the Value 1 value. Is Less Than or Equal To: Returns TRUE if the field value is less than or equal to the Value 1 value. Is Between: Returns TRUE if the field value is between the Value 1 and Value 2 values. (For this option, you must specify both Value 1 and Value 2.) Contains: Returns TRUE if the field value (string) contains the Value 1 value. Does Not Contain: Returns TRUE if the field value (string) does not contain the Value 1 value. Starts With: Returns TRUE if the field value contains at the beginning the Value 1 value. Ends With: Returns TRUE if the field value ends with the Value 1 value. Is Empty: Returns TRUE if the field value is empty (null). Is Not Empty: Returns TRUE if the field value is not empty (not null). Tip: If you try to filter the inquiry results by using a string with the underscore, the result will also contain the values with the same string with any symbol instead of the underscore. For example, if you try to filter the inquiry by a customer name that contains the Customer_Name string, the system will return all the customers whose name contains any of the following strings: Customer_Name, Customer-Name, and Customer Name. All of these strings will be returned because the underscore is used as a wildcard character.
From Schema	A check box that indicates (if selected) that in the Value 1 and Value 2 columns, you can select one of the predefined values of the selected Data Field, for example, a document type or a document status.
Value 1	The value to be used in the selected condition. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For the date-related data fields, you can use the date-relative parameters either by selecting the parameter in the Calendar dialog box (if the field is based on a schema field and the From Schema check box is selected) or by using the date-relative parameter in a formula (if the field is not based on a schema field and you use the formula editor). The following date-relative parameters are available: @Today: The current day. @WeekStart and @WeekEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current week. The start and end of the week are determined according to the default system locale or the locale the user has selected when signing in to MYOB Advanced. The system locales are specified and configured on the System Locales (SM200550) form. @MonthStart and @MonthEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current month. @QuarterStart and @QuarterEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current quarter. @PeriodStart and @PeriodEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current financial period. The financial periods are defined on the Financial Year (GL101000) form. For more information on financial periods in MYOB Advanced, see Managing Financial Periods. @YearStart and @YearEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current calendar year. Tip: All the date-relative parameters use the date (in UTC) of the server used to run the MYOB Advanced instance as the current date. Additionally, you can modify the date-relative parameters by adding or subtracting integers. The unit of measure of the parameter is determined automatically and the reference point is moved according to the measurement of the parameter—for example, @WeekStart+1 relate to the start of the next week. You can use the following company-related parameters to filter records or show values that depend on a branch or a company selected by a user in the Company and Branch Selection Menu: @branch: The branch specified for a entity. @company: The company specified for a entity You can also use the following user-relative parameters for the workgroup-related data fields with the Is In or Is Not In condition: `@MyGroups`: The workgroups in which the current user is a member, excluding the workgroups that are the subordinates of these workgroups. `MyWorktree`: The workgroups in which the current user is a member, including the groups that are subordinates of these groups according to the tenant tree structure.
Value 2	The second value to be used, if the selected condition requires one. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For the date-related data fields that are not based on a schema field (that is, the From Schema check box is cleared), you can use one of the date-relative parameters, as described in Value1. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.
Brackets	The closing bracket or brackets for composing a logical expression with multiple conditions.
Operator	The logical operator to join conditions in a logical expression, which can be And or Or.

Grouping Tab

On this tab, you specify the grouping conditions according to which the results should be displayed on the inquiry form. One result row is returned for each group. SUM is the aggregate function that is applied to the result columns with the numeric type by default. MAX is the aggregate function that is applied to the other result columns by default. You can select an aggregate function value for each result column in the Aggregate Function column on the Results Grid tab.

Table 12. Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Move Row Up	Moves the selected row up by one position.
Move Row Down	Moves the selected row down by one position.

Table 13. Table Columns
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the row is active and is used in grouping the inquiry results.
Data Field	The field of the table or the formula whose value the grouping should be applied to. Includes fields and constants. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For example, to create a generic inquiry listing total sales by month, you can create grouping condition `=MONTH([ARInvoice.TranDate])`. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas. You cannot select the attribute fields as a value of this column. On the entry and maintenance form of a class, the attribute fields are listed on the Attributes tab.

Sort Order Tab

On this tab, you specify the order in which the results should be displayed on the new inquiry form.

Table 14. Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Button	Description
Move Row Up	Moves the selected row up by one position.
Move Row Down	Moves the selected row down by one position.

Table 15. Table Columns
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the row is active and is used in sorting the inquiry results.
Data Field	The field of the table or the formula that includes fields and constants. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.
Sort Order	An option describing how values should be ordered in this column: in Ascending or Descending order.

Results Grid Tab

By using this tab, you can specify how the results of the search in the database tables should be displayed.

Table 16. Table Toolbar
The table toolbar includes standard buttons and buttons that are specific to this table. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar. The table-specific buttons are listed below.
Element	Description
Up	Moves the selected row up by one row.
Down	Moves the selected row down by one row.
Row Style	A box to specify the style of a generic inquiry row. This box supports the use of formulas. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.

Table 17. Table Columns
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the row is active and thus is used in selecting the results.
Object	The name (alias) of the table.
Data Field	The field of the table or a formula that includes fields and constants. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.
Schema Field	The field to be used to determine how the data should be formatted. The properties of the specified field—such as the format, mask, and data type—are used to format the data. The following examples demonstrate the use of the Schema Field column: In the Data Field column, you have a formula that calculates a turnover value, and you want to display this value using the same format as in the `GLHistory.TranPtdDebit` field—that is, with a localized group separator character between each group and two digits after the decimal separator. In the Schema Field column, you select GLHistory.TranPtdDebit. In the Data Field column, you have a string, such as ScreenID, and you want to display it using the CC.CC.CC.CC mask—that is, with a dot as a separator after every two characters (excluding the last two). In the Schema Field column, you specify the name of the field that contains a screen ID with this mask. In the Data Field column, you have a date, such as `StartDate`, and you want to display it as a string, such as September eighteenth. In the Schema Field column, you specify the name of the field that contains a date as a string. The specification of a Schema Field is not required.
Width (px)	The width of the grid column in pixels.
Visible	A check box that indicates (if selected) that this field will appear in the resulting grid. If the check box is cleared, the field will be hidden by default but can be added to the grid by a user.
Default Navigation	A check box that indicates (if selected, which is the default value) that the field value can be a link to the default form, which the user can open by clicking the link specified in the source code. For example, for the field that holds the invoice reference number, the default form is the Invoices and Memos (AR301000) form. If the check box is cleared, the field value can be a link to the screen selected in the Navigate To box. Tip: If the screen that should be opened by clicking the link is the same as the Entry Screen specified on the Entry Point tab of this form, the field value is displayed with no link. You can open any of these rows by clicking the row and then clicking the Edit action on the inquiry toolbar or by double-clicking the row. If the Default Navigation check box and the Navigate To box are cleared, the field cannot be a link. Tip: If you select the Default Navigation check box, you should clear the Navigate To box.
Navigate To	A screen specified on the Navigation tab that the user can open by clicking the link in the column. If you select any screen in the column, the Default Navigation check box is cleared automatically.
Aggregate Function	A function that defines how the resulting value should be calculated for the grouped values in this column. The following aggregate functions are available: AVG: Returns the average of all non-null values of the group. COUNT: Returns a count of all values of the group. MAX: Returns the maximum value of all values of the group. MIN: Returns the minimum value of all values of the group. SUM: Returns the sum of all values of the group. The following aggregate functions are applied by default, when no one function is selected: SUM is applied to the columns with the numeric type. MAX is applied to the other columns.
Caption	The name for the column header to be displayed on the form.
Quick Filter	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the system should add a button with the quick filter for this field to the filtering area of the generic inquiry form. If multiple tabs are displayed on this generic inquiry form, the button with the quick filter is added to the filtering area of the All Records tab. By default, this check box is cleared. For details about quick filters, see Filtering and Sorting in MYOB Advanced and Managing Advanced Filters.
Use in Quick Search	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the system will include the column when performing a quick search by means of the generic inquiry filtering area. If the check box is cleared, the quick search algorithm will ignore the values for the column. For details about the filtering area, see Filtering Area. Tip: This column is hidden by default. For details about enabling columns, see Column Configuration Dialog Box
Total Aggregate Function	A function that defines how the resulting value should be calculated for the total of aggregated generic inquiry column. When the Total Aggregate Function box is used, the resulting generic inquiry will display the aggregated value of the column displayed at the bottom of the screen. The following aggregate functions are available: AVG: Returns the average of all non-null values of the column COUNT: Returns a count of all values of the column MAX: Returns the maximum value of all values of the column MIN: Returns the minimum value of all values of the column SUM: Returns the sum of all values of the column
Style	A box to specify the style of a generic inquiry column. This box supports the use of formulas. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.

Entry Point Tab

By using this tab, you can match the selected inquiry (called the substitute form in this context) to a data entry or maintenance form (called the entry form in this context). You can then replace the entry form with the inquiry in the navigation pane. Once you have replaced the entry form with this inquiry, when you try to click the name of the entry form in the navigation pane, you are redirected to the inquiry. If you select a record in the list, the entry form opens with the details of the selected record. Also, if you create a new record from the inquiry, the entry form opens.

Additionally, you can configure the actions to be available on the inquiry. For more information, see Making a Generic Inquiry a Substitute Form.


Element	Description
Entry Screen	The entry form to be associated with this inquiry. The list of available forms is filtered according to the data access classes selected for the inquiry on the Tables tab. When you select an entry form, this form is added to the Navigation tab automatically. The navigation parameters, which are the key fields on the entry form and the inquiry parameters that should be passed to these fields, are filled in automatically, but you can also specify these parameters manually.
Replace Entry Screen with this Inquiry in Menu	A check box you select to replace the entry form selected in the Entry Screen box with the inquiry (that is, to display the inquiry instead of the entry form when the user clicks the menu item in the navigation pane).
Enable Mass Actions on Records	A check box that you select to give users the ability to perform the actions you select on the records on the inquiry form. With this check box selected, the Mass Actions tab appears on this form. On this tab, you can specify the action or actions that will be available as commands on the More menu (under Actions) of the inquiry form. If this box is selected, the selected commands will appear on the More menu (under Actions), and the Included column will be displayed in the table of the substitute form. A user can select one record or multiple records, and then apply any available command to the selected records. Tip: We do not recommend using mass actions that involve redirecting to other pages, such as customer details or analytical reports. This scenario may cause performance issues and is not guaranteed to work properly.
Enable Mass Record Deletion	A check box you select to allow users to delete multiple records from the list on the inquiry form. If this check box is selected, the Delete button appears on the form toolbar and the Included column is displayed in the table of the substitute form. A user can select one or multiple records, and then delete them.
Auto-Confirm Custom Delete Confirmations	A check box that you select to have the system automatically confirm the deletion of records when a user clicks Delete.
Enable Mass Record Update	A check box that you select to allow users to update multiple records from the list on the inquiry form. If you select this check box, the Mass Update Fields tab appears on the form. Use this tab to select the field (or fields) that users should be able to update. If this check box is selected, the Update and Update All commands appear on the More menu (under Actions), and the Included column will be displayed in the table of the substitute form. A user can select one record or multiple records, and then change the specified fields of the selected records.
Enable New Record Creation	A check box you select to allow users to create new records from the inquiry form. If this check box is selected, the Add Record button appears on the form toolbar in the table of the inquiry form. When a user clicks the button, the entry form opens so the user can add a new record.

Table 18. New Record Defaults TableThis table is available only if the Enable New Record Creation check box is selected. In this table, you can specify the default values for the records that can be created on the inquiry form.
The table toolbar includes only standard buttons. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar.
Column	Description
Field	The name of the field on the entry form.
Value	The default value for the selected field.

Navigation Tab

By using this tab, you can specify the list of forms and webpages to which users can navigate from the inquiry form. For each form and page, you can specify navigation parameters and select the way to open the form.

Navigation Tab: Navigation Targets Pane

In this pane, you can specify the list of navigation targets to be used for navigation from the inquiry.

Table 19. Navigation Targets TableIn this table, you can list the navigation targets and the ways the system should open them.
The table toolbar includes only standard buttons. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar.
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the side panel is activated for the resulting generic inquiry form. If the Active check box is cleared, the side panel is deactivated for the resulting generic inquiry form. If the table contains multiple active rows with the Side Panel window mode, each of these rows is represented as a tab on the side panel. The check box is available only if the Side Panel option is selected in the Window Mode column of the table.
Link	The navigation target, which is either the ID and name of the MYOB Advanced form, the URI of the page to be shown, or a parameter value surrounded with double or triple parenthesis. Tip: You surround each parameter value with double parentheses if you need the system to apply URL encoding for the values. Otherwise, you surround each parameter value with triple parentheses. You can specify a form of any of the following types: Inquiry Data entry Report Mass processing Dashboard Tip: You can add multiple rows with the same link specified but with different parameters selected in the Navigation Parameters table.
Window Mode	The way the navigation target is opened. The following modes are available: Same Tab (default): The navigation target opens in the same browser tab instead of the inquiry. New Tab: The navigation target opens in a new browser tab. Pop-Up Window: The navigation target opens in a new pop-up window. Side Panel: The navigation target opens in the side panel, giving the user the ability to quickly edit the desired values while the main generic inquiry form is still open. For details, see Navigation Configuration: To Configure the Side Panel. If you select this option, the Icon box appears in the right pane. Inline: The navigation target opens in the same browser tab when a user is adding a new record or viewing the details of an existing record. If the navigation target is selected as the entry screen on the Entry Point tab and replaced with the inquiry, the system inserts this window mode, which you cannot change.

Navigation Tab: Right Pane

This pane contains the Navigation Parameters table, where you can specify navigation parameters. If in the Navigation Targets pane, the Side Panel option is selected for a navigation target in the Window Mode column, then the right pane contains the Icon box.

Table 20. Right Pane ElementBy using this element, you can select, if applicable, the icon to appear on the side panel of the generic inquiry form.
Element	Description
Icon	The icon to be displayed on the side panel bar of the resulting generic inquiry form. This box appears in the pane only if the Side Panel option is selected in the Window Mode column in the table for the selected row on the Navigation Targets pane. If the user clicks this icon on the generic inquiry form, the system opens the side panel with the form to which navigation has been configured, and the user can quickly edit the desired values while still viewing the main generic inquiry form.

Table 21. Navigation Parameters TabIn the table on this tab, for the selected row on the Navigation Targets pane, you can specify the parameters of the navigation target and the parameters of the inquiry that must match to make navigation available.
The table toolbar includes only standard buttons. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar.
Column	Description
Field	The name of the field of the form, or the name of the parameter from the URI in double parentheses. The system composes the list in the column based on the selected navigation target on the Navigation Targets pane, and then you can select the needed name from the list.
Parameter	The parameters of the generic inquiry that are passed to the navigation target, which can be data fields, report or dashboard parameters, or formula. Depending of the type of the navigation target, in the Parameter column, the system makes the following available for selection: Inquiry form, mass processing form, or webpage: Fields of all data access classes used in the generic inquiry Data entry form: Key fields of the entry form Report form: Report parameters Dashboard: Dashboard parameters Tip: To enter a formula, click the pencil icon in the cell, the system opens the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.

Table 22. Visibility Conditions TabThis tab is displayed only for the navigation targets with the *Side Panel* option in the Window Mode column. In the table on this tab, you can specify a condition or a set of conditions that must be met for the side panel to be visible for users. The table has the same structure as the table on the Conditions tab of the same form.
The table toolbar includes only standard buttons. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar.
Column	Description
Active	A check box that indicates (if selected) that the row is an active condition.
Brackets	The opening bracket or brackets for composing a logical expression with multiple conditions.
Data Field	The field whose value the condition should be applied to.
Condition	One of the following logical conditions, which will be applied to the value of the field specified as the Data Field and the values in the Value 1 and Value 2 fields, if applicable: Equals: Returns TRUE if the value of the Data Field field is equal to the value specified as Value 1. Does Not Equal: Returns TRUE if the field value is not equal to the Value 1 value. Is Greater Than: Returns TRUE if the field value is greater than the Value 1 value. Is Greater Than or Equal To: Returns TRUE if the field value is greater than or equal to the Value 1 value. Is Less Than: Returns TRUE if the field value is less than the Value 1 value. Is Less Than or Equal To: Returns TRUE if the field value is less than or equal to the Value 1 value. Is Between: Returns TRUE if the field value is between the Value 1 and Value 2 values. (For this option, you must specify both Value 1 and Value 2.) Contains: Returns TRUE if the field value (string) contains the Value 1 value. Does Not Contain: Returns TRUE if the field value (string) does not contain the Value 1 value. Starts With: Returns TRUE if the field value contains at the beginning the Value 1 value. Ends With: Returns TRUE if the field value ends with the Value 1 value. Is Empty: Returns TRUE if the field value is empty (null). Is Not Empty: Returns TRUE if the field value is not empty (not null). Tip: If you try to filter the inquiry results by using a string with the underscore, the result will also contain the values with the same string with any symbol instead of the underscore. For example, if you try to filter the inquiry by a customer name that contains the Customer_Name string, the system will return all the customers whose name contains any of the following strings: Customer_Name, Customer-Name, and Customer Name. All of these strings will be returned because the underscore is used as a wildcard character.
From Schema	A check box that indicates (if selected) that in the Value 1 and Value 2 columns, you can select one of the predefined values of the selected Data Field, for example, a document type or a document status.
Value 1	The value to be used in the selected condition. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For the date-related data fields, you can use the date-relative parameters either by selecting the parameter in the Calendar dialog box (if the field is based on a schema field and the From Schema check box is selected) or by using the date-relative parameter in a formula (if the field is not based on a schema field and you use the formula editor). The following date-relative parameters are available: @Today: The current day. @WeekStart and @WeekEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current week. The start and end of the week are determined according to the default system locale or the locale the user has selected when signing in to MYOB Advanced. The system locales are specified and configured on the System Locales (SM200550) form. @MonthStart and @MonthEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current month. @QuarterStart and @QuarterEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current quarter. @PeriodStart and @PeriodEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current financial period. The financial periods are defined on the Financial Year (GL101000) form. For more information on financial periods in MYOB Advanced, see Managing Financial Periods. @YearStart and @YearEnd: The start and end, respectively, of the current calendar year. Tip: All the date-relative parameters use the date (in UTC) of the server used to run the MYOB Advanced instance as the current date. Additionally, you can modify the date-relative parameters by adding or subtracting integers. The unit of measure of the parameter is determined automatically and the reference point is moved according to the measurement of the parameter—for example, @WeekStart+1 relate to the start of the next week. You can use the following company-related parameters to filter records or show values that depend on a branch or a company selected by a user in the Company and Branch Selection Menu: @branch: The branch specified for a entity. @company: The company specified for a entity You can also use the following user-relative parameters for the workgroup-related data fields with the Is In or Is Not In condition: `@MyGroups`: The workgroups in which the current user is a member, excluding the workgroups that are the subordinates of these workgroups. `MyWorktree`: The workgroups in which the current user is a member, including the groups that are subordinates of these groups according to the tenant tree structure.
Value 2	The second value to be used, if the selected condition requires one. Select a field, or click the Edit button to open the Formula Editor dialog box and create a formula. For the date-related data fields that are not based on a schema field (that is, the From Schema check box is cleared), you can use one of the date-relative parameters, as described in Value1. For details on the functions that can be used in the formula, see Formulas.
Brackets	The closing bracket or brackets for composing a logical expression with multiple conditions.
Operator	The logical operator to join conditions in a logical expression, which can be And or Or.

Mass Update Fields Tab

By using this tab, you can specify the fields of the entry form that can be updated for the selected or all the entities listed on the inquiry form if a user clicks Update or Update All on the More menu (under Actions) of the resulting inquiry form.

For instance, you can select the Description field on this tab. Then on the inquiry form, when a user selects some entities in the table and clicks Update on the More menu (under Actions), the system opens the Values for Update dialog box, where the user can specify a new description for the selected entities and update them.

Attention:

During the mass update on the inquiry form, the ability to update a particular field of the entry form that the inquiry replaces depends on the business logic of the field and may vary.

Mass updating of attributes is not supported. For more information on attributes, see Attributes.

This tab appears on the form only if the Enable Mass Record Update check box is selected on the Entry Point tab.

The table toolbar includes only standard buttons. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar.

Table 23. Table Columns
Column	Description
Select	An unlabeled check box that you use to select the fields you want to be updated. When you add a field to this table, it becomes active, with the Select check box automatically selected. You can clear the check box at any time.
Field Name	The name of the field of the entry form selected in the Entry Screen box on the Entry Point tab that should be updated.

Mass Actions Tab

By using this tab, you can specify the commands that will be available on the More menu (under Actions) of the resulting inquiry form. This tab appears only if the Enable Mass Actions on Records check box is selected on the Entry Point tab (Operations with Records section).

Attention: The ability to perform mass actions for the entry form that the inquiry replaces depends on the business logic of the form. It is possible that you could list some mass actions on the Mass Actions tab that cannot actually be performed. On the resulting generic inquiry form that replaces the particular entry form, you need to test each of the commands related to the actions you have added on the Mass Actions tab to make sure that the action meets the following requirements:

Performs properly in mass processing
Does not involve redirection to other forms
Does not cause pop-up windows to be displayed

If an action does not meet the requirements, you must delete this action from the list on the Mass Actions tab.

The table toolbar includes only standard buttons. For the list of standard buttons, see Table Toolbar.

Table 24. Table Columns
Column	Description
Select	An unlabeled check box that you use to select an action. When you add an action to this table, it becomes active, with the Select check box automatically selected. You can clear this check box at any time.
Action	The name of the action that will be available on the More menu (under Actions) of the inquiry.

Side Panel

On the side panel, you can preview the resulting generic inquiry form. When you click the eye icon, the system displays the generic inquiry form on the side panel. You can use the arrow icon to open and close the side panel.

Formulas

In some columns of the Relations, Conditions, and Result Grid tabs, you can use formulas to calculate the values of these columns by using the formula editor, which is invoked by clicking the edit control button in the columns.

The formula editor includes standard and form-specific functions. For the list of standard functions, see Formula Operators and Formula Functions. The form-specific function is the Concat() function. If the software of your MYOB Advanced database is MySQL Server, for generic inquiries, use the Concat() function instead of + to sum the values of the string data type, as follows.

=Concat('My first string', 'My second string', [Object.DataField])

The Styles components of the formula editor can be used in the formulas in Row Style and Style box so that the user can highlight certain elements of the resulting generic inquiry or a Data Table dashboard widget based on MYOB Advanced generic inquiry. By using the Styles components, the user can specify the display style of an element described by the formula.

The following operators can be used to specify the styles for the highlighted elements.

As an example, consider the following formula: =IIf([CRCase.Priority] = 'H', 'bad', 'default'). If this formula is used as the value specified in the Row Style box of a generic inquiry listing support cases, then all the high-priority cases will be highlighted with red color.