Filters are used to hide files which match or do not match a set of specified rules. The creation and management of filters is done via a database file's Advanced Filter... menu item. Saved filters are available from the context menu's Hide Items Matching Saved Filter and Hide Items Not Matching Saved Filter submenus.
A filter can contain any number of nested compound conditions. A new compound condition is added by holding down the Option key when clicking on a + button. Filter conditions may be dragged to new locations.
You filter on database columns, treating the data as text or as an integer. When an existing column name is chosen, the data is treated as text. When a column name is prefixed with a #, the data is treated as an integer value. When the data associated with a column does not have a leading integer value, an integer value of zero will be assumed. Note that for columns containing symbolic ratings, the # form will work as expected.
When the Remove current filter before applying option is set, a filter will be applied on the full unfiltered set of database items. Note, the value of this option is preserved with a filter when it is saved.
Note that the is like operator supports the * (match 0 or more) and ? (match 1) wildcard characters. Unless you want your pattern to be anchored on the right make sure you specify a trailing *.
Saved filters can be deleted or chosen for editing via the Manage... button. When managing filters, you can delete them or select them for editing.
When a comparison uses a pure column, ie. not one with a # prefix, escape sequences are processed to allow for relative date testing. The following escape sequences are supported:
Examples: Assume a date column named Purchased