The ExpressQuantumGrid gives you a rich and comprehensive set of data visualization features - be it data grouping, sorting, summaries, or filtering - at extreme speeds. Among the many features that set the ExpressQuantumGrid Suite apart from all its competitors is the ease with which you can provide advanced data filtering, thus giving your end-users a superior way in which to construct filter criteria of any complexity using a State-of-the-Art UI.
Data Filtering Engine
Because the ExpressQuantumGrid uses the ExpressDataController to implement filtering, the actual process of applying a filter happens with lightning speed. To see just how fast our filtering engine is in action, review the Unbound Mode or Grid Mode demos of the ExpressQuantumGrid Suite which populate the Grid with thousands of records - Perform filtering and you will notice that records are returned at a blink of an eye.
To compliment this blistering speed, the ExpressQuantumGrid offers a number of User Interface features that make the creation of filters so simple that any end-user can execute sophisticated filtering immediately.
In addition to the features described below, the ExpressQuantumGrid v6 introduces several new ones. Please refer to the Filtering UI Innovations section of the What's New in v6 white paper for additional information.
One-Step Filtering
Using Excel® style "Filter by Example," your end-users can quickly point to the column they wish to filter against and select a value from the drop down, and instantaneously retrieve the information they require.
The ExpressQuantumGrid gives you the ability to fully control this powerful feature. In the screenshot below you will find that instead of showing dates in the column filter dropdown, we display a list of months instead...
Most recently used column filter values are shown at the top of the column filter dropdown. This will certainly make your application more effective since end-users can quickly shuffle between the commonly used filter criteria within your application.
Advanced Filtering Using the ExpressFilter Control
For those who want to go beyond one-step filtering, the ExpressQuantumGrid includes the ExpressFilter Control, a customizable dialog that allows end-users to build filter criteria of any complexity with a simple yet elegant interface that puts the entire power of the filtering sub-system at their fingertips.
Through a simple process of selecting column(s) to filter against, an operator for the filter and one or more values to apply to the filter against that column, your end-users will be able to create even the most sophisticated of filters simply and easily.
Select a Column...
Select an Operator...
Select a Value...
Repeat until all the criteria for the Filter has been specified...
Thanks to tight integration with the ExpressDataController, the ExpressFilter Control is able to determine the column type and provide meaningful options. For example, select a date column and the list of available operators will include 'is yesterday', 'is last year', 'is this week', 'between', 'not between' and many other operators relevant to dates.
Select a column that has an image lookup and the ExpressFilter Control automatically gives you the same information to select from in your values Field, and access to set operations such as 'IN' and 'NOT IN'.
Criteria can be added without limit, and can be grouped into blocks using logical relations such as AND, OR, NOT OR, NOT AND to specify extremely sophisticated filter criteria simply by adding to the criteria.
The ExpressFilter Control is the most advanced control of its type ever developed. It allows your end-users to graphically build filter criteria simply and directly. As if providing total control of filters within a grid were not enough, you can use this control independently of the Grid in any TDataSet based application.
Advanced Filtering for any TDataSet based application Using the ExpressDBFilter Control
The ExpressDBFilter Control from the ExpressQuantumGrid Suite is a component like any other on your palette and can be easily added to any application that uses a TDataSet. Simply drop the ExpressDBFilter Control on a form, connect it to the dataset and, when you want to apply the filter to the TDataSet, set the FilterText property of the ExpressDBFilter Control. This sets the Filter property of the TDataSet thus applying the filter to it.
Filter Bar
The ExpressQuantumGrid has a special area below the grid footer, which is dedicated to displaying the current filter criteria, giving your end-users direct feedback on filter conditions and the ability to instantly turn the filter on or off, clear it or further customize it using the ExpressFilter Control. You are able to place the filter panel at the top or the bottom of the grid.
Enabling the filter happens quickly and as you can see, summaries are recalculated almost instantly.
In addition to MRU support at the column level, the ExpressQuantumGrid adds an MRU filter option to the Filter Bar allowing your end-users to quickly filter the contents of your grid using previously applied criteria.
