Data Source & Filters

Data Source Filters - Introduction

Learn how to filter data in Tadabase to show exactly the records you need. This guide covers the fundamentals of data source filtering to get you started quickly.

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Understanding Filter Basics

What is a Data Source?

When you add a data component (Table, List, Details, etc.) to a page, you first choose a data source—the table from which your component will display records. Filters then refine which of those records are shown.

Anatomy of a Filter

Every filter consists of three parts:

Component	Description	Example
Field	The field you want to filter by	"Company Name", "Status", "Created Date"
Operator	How to compare the field value	"is", "contains", "is today", "is checked"
Value	What to compare against (if needed)	"Tesla", "100", specific date

Example Filter:
Show records where Status (field) is (operator) Active (value)

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Common Filter Types

Text Field Filters

Filter text fields like names, descriptions, and addresses.

Common Operators:

• is - Exact match
• contains - Includes the text anywhere
• starts with - Begins with the text
• ends with - Ends with the text
• is blank - Field is empty

Example: Filter companies where Company Name contains "Tech" shows: TechCorp, FinTech Solutions, BioTech Labs

Number Field Filters

Filter numeric fields like prices, quantities, and scores.

Common Operators:

• is equal to - Exact number match
• is higher than - Greater than specified value
• is lower than - Less than specified value
• is blank - Field is empty

Example: Filter orders where Total Amount is higher than 1000 shows all orders over $1,000

Date Field Filters

Filter dates relative to today or specific date ranges.

Popular Operators:

• is today - Records from today only
• is this week - Current Sunday-Saturday week
• is this month - Current calendar month
• is before today - All past records
• is after today - All future records
• is during the previous 7 days - Rolling 7-day window from today

Example: Filter events where Event Date is this week shows only events happening Sunday-Saturday of the current week

Checkbox Filters

Filter yes/no fields like "Active", "Completed", or "Featured".

Operators:

• is checked - Box is checked (true)
• is unchecked - Box is not checked (false)
• only show checked - Same as "is checked"

Example: Filter tasks where Completed is unchecked shows all incomplete tasks

Connection Field Filters

Filter records based on relationships to other tables.

Powerful Operators:

• is logged in user - Shows each user only their own records
• is connected to current record - Filter based on detail page context
• is any of - Connected to any selected records

Example: Filter projects where Assigned To is logged in user creates a personalized view where each user sees only their assigned projects

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Filter Logic: AND vs OR

When you add multiple filters, you can choose how they work together:

Match All (AND)

Records must meet ALL filter conditions to be shown. This narrows your results.

Example:

• Status is Active
• AND Company Name contains "Tech"
• Result: Only active companies with "Tech" in the name

Match Any (OR)

Records must meet AT LEAST ONE filter condition. This expands your results.

Example:

• Status is Active
• OR Priority is High
• Result: All active records PLUS all high priority records (even if inactive)

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Common Filtering Scenarios

Show Only My Records

Create a personalized view where each user sees only their own data.

Filter: Assigned User (connection field) is logged in user

Show Recent Records

Display records created in the last 30 days.

Filter: Created Date is during the previous 30 days

Show Active Items Only

Hide archived or inactive records from view.

Filter: Status is Active

Show High-Value Deals

Display deals above a certain amount that are still open.

Filters (Match All):

• Deal Amount is higher than 10000
• Status is not Closed

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Getting Started with Filters

1. Open Component Settings: Click the component you want to filter
2. Navigate to Data Source: Find the Data Source or Filters section
3. Add Filter: Click "Add Filter" button
4. Configure Filter:
   • Select the field to filter by
   • Choose an operator
   • Enter a value (if required)
5. Set Logic: Choose "Match All" or "Match Any" if using multiple filters
6. Save: Save your component settings

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Advanced Topics

For more complex filtering needs, explore these advanced features in the comprehensive Manual guide:

• Nested Filter Groups: Create complex logic like (A AND B) OR (C AND D)
• Date Filter Calendar Examples: Visual representations showing exactly which dates match each operator
• Connection Field Advanced Filters: Role-based filtering, multi-level connections, search within connections
• Special Filters: Dynamic user filters, current record context, custom date ranges
• Performance Best Practices: Optimize filters for large datasets
• Troubleshooting: Solve common filtering issues

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Quick Reference: Operators by Field Type

Field Type	Common Operators	Use Case
Text	is, contains, starts with, is blank	Names, descriptions, addresses
Number	is equal to, higher than, lower than	Prices, quantities, scores
Date	is today, is this week, is before/after	Events, deadlines, timestamps
Checkbox	is checked, is unchecked	Yes/no fields, toggles
Select	is, is any of, contains	Status, category, tags
Connection	is logged in user, is connected to	User assignments, relationships

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Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics of data source filtering:

1. Practice: Add simple filters to your components and test the results
2. Explore: Try different operators to see how they affect your data
3. Learn More: Visit the Complete Data Source Filtering Guide for advanced techniques
4. Watch: Review the video at the top of this page for visual demonstrations