Session HR Query Builder Basics

Presenters Tabitha Conwell Debbie Kilbane Natalie Richardson The College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio Tabitha Conwell Debbie Kilbane Natalie Richardson The College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio

Query Builder – What is it? Query Builder is a reporting tool that allows for access to the data without the colon prompt. For Datatel users, Query Builder works with Unidata. This will not work with SQL or Oracle.

Accessing Query Builder Access Query Builder from the Options menu.

Components of Query Builder Our focus will be on the Verb, File, Items, Sort, Output and Output To buttons.

File – RUEI & RUFI To use QB, you will need to know which file to use. If you aren’t sure in which File your Fields reside, use RUEI and RUFI.

Using RUEI On a Colleague screen, place the cursor in the field with the data, click on the Help (?) icon. We go to RUEI and enter POS.DEPT on the Lookup line. We placed the cursor in the Department field and clicked the ?. A window opens with the Field name – POS.DEPT. We find the File is POSITION.

Using RUFI If you know the name of the File and want to know the Fields within in it, use RUFI. The Fields for the POSITION File are listed.

Writing a query: File In the QB window, we enter our File name. We will use the HRPER file as it contains numerous data elements useful to HR and Payroll. Enter HRPER on the File: line, click the Items… button The Selection of Items window opens and lists the Fields for the HRPER File.

Writing a query: Items Now we select our criteria. We want to find the employees in the Applications Development department.

Writing a query: Items (cont.) Our Item is added. Click OK. We are returned to the main QB window.

Writing a query: Output Click on the Output: button. The Output Criteria window opens. Select the items you want and click Add after each or double click on the item.

Writing a query: Output (cont.) Our items are added. Click OK. We are returned to the main QB window.

Writing a query: Sort Click on the Sort… button. The Sort Criteria window opens. Select the items you want and click Add after each or double click on the item.

Writing a query: Sort (cont.) Our items are added. Click OK. We are returned to the main QB window. We are ready to run our first query. Click OK.

Output To: - Screen Our data is returned.

Output To: - PC/Process We want our data returned to Excel. Change the Verb: to Select. Under Output To: click the PC/Process button. The parameter window opens.

Output To: - PC/Process (cont.) Give your file a name and choose the location. Select Excel under Application:. Click OK on both windows.

Excel report generated The Excel file is generated.

Adding Items Now we are ready to add more selection criteriaWe enter a name for our file. We want the employees from the Campus Dining (HSSD) department with a start date prior to Jan. 1, We click OK to run the query.

Excel report generated Our Excel file is generated.

Saving a Query Return to the QB window and click Save…Click the Specify Location button. Click Browse… to find the folder where you want to save the query. Enter a File name: -the file type is “.wis” Click Save

Using a saved query Click on the Open… button. Move to the location where you saved your query. Click on the query. Click Open. Change the criteria in the query to pull new data.

Excel report generated The Excel file is generated.

Default QB screen This is the default QB screen: This is the default for PC/Process – Advanced… Verb: LIST Output To: Screen

Changing the Default If you find that you use settings that are different from the default, you can set these. Changes can also be made on the Advanced screen. Click OK and then Set Default.

Questions We have more great things to share about Query Builder, but we want to take a moment to answer questions.

More on FILES From the main QB window, you can click on the File… button (leaving the File: line blank) and a list of all of the data files available will appear.

More on FILES (cont.) From the list of Files, you can see what Fields reside within the File. Click on a File name and click the View Dict… button.

Formatting for output If the fields do not format in the columns correctly, you may need to change the settings on the Advanced screen. By changing Capture to Reformat, the Primary Position formats properly.

Refresh When returning to QB to run another query, the Fields may need to be refreshed. Click the Refresh button.

Error message – no file created When running a query and sending it to Excel, if you just ran a query into Excel and do not change the file name for this next query (and that Excel file is still open), you will get this error. Click OK. Return to QB. Go into PC… and enter a new file name for PC Filename: or close the Excel file that is already open with that name.

Error message – no items selected The following error will occur if there is no data to report.

Error message – output to the screen The following error will occur if there is no data to report.

Error message – Office 2007 At times, Query Builder may lock up when pulling the data to Excel. It does not happen consistently. It can occur when running several queries in a row. To correct: Restart the Colleague application. Close Excel files. Return data into a text file.

Multi-valued Fields Fields with multi-values can be pulled using QB. There are various ways for formatting the data. Reformat Explode Values (vertical data return) Reformat uncheck Explode Values (horizontal data return)

Output to File Click on PC… Under Application: choose None Under Show as: select Fixed Length

Typing out the query HRP.LFM.NAME HRP.CURRENT.STATUS HRP.EFFECT.EMPLOY.DATE HRP.PRI.DEPT HRP.PRI.POS

Typing out the query – example #2 HRP.LFM.NAME HRP.CURRENT.STATUS HRP.EFFECT.EMPLOY.DATE HRP.PRI.DEPT HRP.PRI.POS

Query Language Sentence Structure VerbFileSelectionsSorts Output FieldsOptions LIST Selectors:BY AVERAGE SORT WITHBY.DSND DET.SUP COUNT WITH EVERYBY.EXP PERCENT SUM WITH NOBY.EXP.DSND SAMPLE SELECT WHEN SAMPLED SSELECT WHEN ASD () SELECT.ONLY LISTDICT TOTAL LIST DICT Logical Connectors: COL.SUP AND COL.SPACES OR COUNT.SUP DBL.SUP Operators: HDR.SUP.= or GE ID.SUP <= or LE LPTR = or EQ MARGIN > or GT VERT < or LT EVAL # or NE CNV BETWEEN FMT COL.HDG Special Operators: NO.NULLS MATCHING NOPAGE NOT MATCHING NO.SPLIT LIKE HEADER UNLIKE Options: FOOTING Options: BREAK.ON Options: BREAK.SUP