Create an Ad Hoc Filter
Filter Types
There are three types of ad hoc filters that can be created in Infinite Campus:
Query Wizard
This is the most commonly used tool for creating filters.
Selection Editor
This tool can be used for manually selecting specific students to include in your filter
Pass-through SQL Query
This method allows you to be very specific by utilizing Structured Query Language (SQL) to query the database. This tool id more advanced and requires knowledge of the database and SQL.
Data Types
There are also three categories of data that you must select from when creating your filter.
Student
This data type is for filters that require specific student information (name, ID#, grade, etc.). Data is pulled from the calendar selected in the Campus Toolbar at the top of the screen.
Census/Staff
This data type is for filters looking for any person in the database (parents/guardians, staff, etc.). Data is pulled from the entire database, not just the calendar selected.
Course/Section
Use this data type if you need to filter on scheduling information like courses, sections, roster size, etc. Data is pulled from the calendar selected in the Campus Toolbar at the top of the screen.
Query Wizard
Open the Filter Designer, using this path: Index > Ad Hoc Reporting > Filter Designer
Click Filter Type: Query Wizard
Click Data Type: Student
Click Create.
Query Name: Name the Ad Hoc filter to know what data is being included. This field is required
Short Description and Long Description are optional
but recommended
Select
which fields to include in your filter. In the example on the right, we expand Demographics to select the studentID, name, birthdate, and grade.
Click the + symbol to the left of the field type to expand the selection. Click on the field to move it to Selected Fields column.
- Filter by: enter the criteria in which to perform the search.
- Click Search.
- All Fields: the categories will display that have fields containing the search entry.
- The category will expand to display all the fields containing the criteria entered.
Click Next in the bottom right corner of the screen.
If you are not sure where to find a particular field, you can search for it using the Filter By search box.
For example, if we wanted to only include active students in our filter, we can search for the word ‘Active’
Type in the key word and click Search. The list of fields will be narrowed down to those that contain the word you searched for.
At this point, you can click on Save & Test to see what data that will be generated by the selected fields.
Once you have verified you are getting the type of data you want, click Next.
Filter the Data (Optional)
Define specific constraints for how each field is filtered by applying operators and/or values to the filter.
While this is an optional step, it is one of the most powerful tools to ensure that you get the exact data that you need
Each field you selected shows on a line by itself. You can apply an Operator to that field and corresponding Value to narrow down your results.
In our example, we want to only include students with a birthday in August, and only include students who are Active today.
For birth date, choose IN THE MONTH OF from the operator list, then type in August in the value field
For ActiveToday, select =TRUE
The Logical Expression box can be used to combine options to get specific data. By default, when you select operators, the are all applie when returning the data. In our example, this means that:
Student has a birth date in August AND
Student has an active enrollment today
What if we wanted to narrow this down to specific grade levels? For example, if we only wanted grades 8 and 9 returned:
Select student.grade = 08 (NOTE: All grade levels are 2 digits
)
Add
another
line by clicking the Add button, and choosing student.grade = 09
In the logical expression box, type in the statement 5 or 7. These are the ID numbers that identify the field you are talking about
You can click Save & Test at the bottom of the screen
to make sure you are still getting the data you expect
Click Next.
Format the Output File (Optional)
This is where you determine how you want the information displayed on the report.
OutputSeq: If you do not want the data in a field to appear on the report, UNCHECK the Output box. You can change the order of the fields but entering a Seq number; i.e. if in the example above the Student.lastName should be the first column, enter a 1 in the Seq field.
Sort: The data will sort based on the first field, unless otherwise specified. In the example above, the data will sort by student last name since a sort preference of 1 was entered in the Sort column of the student.lastName field. The data will then sort by student first name since a 2 was entered in sort column of the student.firstName field.
Column Header: The column header will default to the column name. The name can be changed by entering a new name in the Column Header column.
Alignment: the data can be aligned in the center, left, right.
Click Save or Save & Test at the bottom of the screen.
Click Next or exit the screen.
