Add an option to Ad-hoc Query editor to extract details of the query into a control report

We often want to use all or part of the specifications for a Query in a job tracking ticket, some documentation for one of processes, or backing up a Query when we're making changes.  It is very tedious having to type out the criteria of an Ad-hoc Query, or OCR and correct them from a screenshot.  

Please add a button to the Ad-hoc Query editor to extract the details of the query into a control report.  Ideally, this would just encapsulate all the details in text copied to the clipboard and loaded into the system default text viewer (usually Notepad), so we could copy or save it as desired.  The format may as well be something like the following:

 

Query control report: <query name>

Description: <query description>

Category: <query category>

Site: <query site>

Folder: <query folder>

Options:

<settings of all the options on the 'Set save options' page>

Filters:

<text describing the filter criteria, as displayed in the 'Include records where' pane>

 

Output fields:

<text describing the output fields, as displayed in the 'Results fields to display' pane>

 

Sort fields:

<text displayed in the 'Sort records by' pane>

 

Group filters:

<text displayed in the 'Include records where' pane>

 

We used to find the query control reports in the Raiser's Edge quite handy, but having the details available as text would be even better as we often only want part of them.

  • David Wanless
  • Aug 9 2018
  • Reviewed: Voting Open
Blackbaud CRM / Query
Organization Name (Please enter full organization name) The Wilderness Society (Australia)
Reported Version 4.0
  • Attach files
  • David Wanless commented
    August 20, 2018 04:03

    Thanks Matt.  We do regularly copy queries and I'll consider whether some are worth backing up that way.  I didn't know about Configuration Export so it's good to know that's there.  It won't really help with most of our use cases, as we're after text which is easy for non-technical people to read, rather than XML code, and we're after something which is quick to use for a single query, but for backup of important queries it could be quite handy.

    Attachments Open full size
  • Matt Crawford commented
    August 16, 2018 12:01

    Thank you for your idea!  We will consider it for a future release.

    Though not implemented in the exact manner suggested, there is functionality present that will make the use cases you described easier to manage.

    The easiest way to accomplish this would be using a mix the Copy an Existing Query feature, and a Configuration Export.  

    Copying the existing query will copy it to the same folder that it's in, and effectively create a backup for you.  The Configuration Export, provides an .xml definition of the query that you can copy to a clipboard if needed.  It not as simple as the button that you described, but should help you accomplish the same end goal without much additional work.  

    Attachments Open full size

Related ideas