Rookie Mistakes: How I Solved My Query Quandaries by Stephanie Henke
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I made many, many mistakes when I first started creating queries in Altru (see my top 9 below, in 500 words or less). But as the saying goes, if you aren’t making mistakes, you aren't working hard enough. And that is how you should approach queries: you won't find your mistakes until you make them. So don't wait, CREATE!
Use the FIND FIELD box. It took me forever to get into the habit of using this time-saving little box. Make it your friend.
Determine why you are creating the query: if it is to be used in an Appeal Process, you must start with a Constituent Query. If it is to be used in an Acknowledgment Process, begin with a Revenue Query.
Watch your AND vs. OR indicators. Do you want people who meet EVERY criteria (use AND) or ONE OF the criteria (use OR). If very few people are showing up in your results, it could be you have AND selected (Altru defaults to AND).
If you want to see all constituent phone numbers or all email addresses, it will list the constituent as many times as it needs to give you that information. It won’t add a column for each email address, it will add A ROW, making your output number higher. Export your results into excel and then clean up the spreadsheet (or create an export definition, but that’s another whole blog!).
Unless you want deceased and inactive people in your results, always make sure you ask NOT to include them. (Deceased is equal to NO, and Inactive is equal to NO).
In revenue queries, ALWAYS include Revenue>Application Details>Amount along with Revenue>Amount (which Altru defaults to). This will capture the difference between a membership payment of $125 and a membership payment of $150 that was really a membership payment of $125 PLUS a donation of $50. An important distinction.
If you need to use the results of your query in another query or process, be sure to click the boxes “Create a Selection” AND “Show in Query Designer” in the SET SAVE OPTIONS. Also look for that selection in the correct query node (i.e. if it was a revenue query, look for that selection under the revenue>selection node, even if you are starting from a constituent query).
Thoughtfully name and describe your queries. I start with the year, then the name and what it is for. I then add a detailed description. This is especially helpful when you need to find a selection.
Check your results. Choose 10-20 result records to ensure they meet the query requirements. It’s a GREAT way to learn more about how queries work (or don't work!).
- I can’t find the field!
Use the FIND FIELD box. It took me forever to get into the habit of using this time-saving little box. Make it your friend.
- My query won’t work in my process!
Determine why you are creating the query: if it is to be used in an Appeal Process, you must start with a Constituent Query. If it is to be used in an Acknowledgment Process, begin with a Revenue Query.
- Too few people!
Watch your AND vs. OR indicators. Do you want people who meet EVERY criteria (use AND) or ONE OF the criteria (use OR). If very few people are showing up in your results, it could be you have AND selected (Altru defaults to AND).
- Too many people!
If you want to see all constituent phone numbers or all email addresses, it will list the constituent as many times as it needs to give you that information. It won’t add a column for each email address, it will add A ROW, making your output number higher. Export your results into excel and then clean up the spreadsheet (or create an export definition, but that’s another whole blog!).
- Dead people!
Unless you want deceased and inactive people in your results, always make sure you ask NOT to include them. (Deceased is equal to NO, and Inactive is equal to NO).
- Too much money!
In revenue queries, ALWAYS include Revenue>Application Details>Amount along with Revenue>Amount (which Altru defaults to). This will capture the difference between a membership payment of $125 and a membership payment of $150 that was really a membership payment of $125 PLUS a donation of $50. An important distinction.
- I can’t find my selection!
If you need to use the results of your query in another query or process, be sure to click the boxes “Create a Selection” AND “Show in Query Designer” in the SET SAVE OPTIONS. Also look for that selection in the correct query node (i.e. if it was a revenue query, look for that selection under the revenue>selection node, even if you are starting from a constituent query).
- I can’t find my query!
Thoughtfully name and describe your queries. I start with the year, then the name and what it is for. I then add a detailed description. This is especially helpful when you need to find a selection.
- I still messed it up!
Check your results. Choose 10-20 result records to ensure they meet the query requirements. It’s a GREAT way to learn more about how queries work (or don't work!).
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ARCHIVED | Blackbaud Altru® Tips and Tricks
08/12/2014 9:18am EDT
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