Edit Worksheet Criteria

[Vectorhead]

Hello,

 

I have a worksheet that functions as a "Sheet Index" and I'm trying to simplify the criteria that shows the active sheets. Presently my sheets have a numbering system that places an "X-number" and when I ready to have them show up on the Index, I change the X-number to a letter different than X. The only way I have been able to make the sheets no so the I recalculate is to add the criteria (Layer/is not/X-and the exact number) for each sheet. I Would like to be able to specify all the "X-" and have them not show with a single criteria. I have tried Name, Field value etc.. but haven't figured out how to make this work.

 

I'm asking this because for some reason the edit criteria dialog window will no longer let me keep doing this. It's seems to have a reached a limit to the number of criteria of 25, because if I try doing this for some additional sheets I have recently added the function no longer continues to work. 

 

Thanks in advance 

[michaelk]

There is a "secret" way to do this.

 

1.  Right click on the database header - choose Edit Criteria

2.  Cancel

3. Look in the formula bar.  You will see the raw database info.  ie.  L='layer name' will be where the GUI has the pulldowns for Layer = whatever.

4. Replace 'X-number' with 'X-*'

 

the asterisk will be a "wildcard" and the database will accept anything that starts with X-.  I think it works on everything except for layers.

[Vectorhead]

Michaelk,

 

Your instructions about the asterisk as the "wildcard" worked perfectly. That's a great tip thank you.

[michaelk]

The only downside is that it breaks the database criteria GUI.  From now own you have to edit the criteria for that database manually.

[ericjhberg]

I had no idea you could do this! This should become a wishlist item to finetune the database criteria GUI to include this functionality...and the ability to delete any criteria instead of just the one at the bottom.

[michaelk]

Don't get me started on wishlist items for the database GUI 

 

You can use this trick for crazy criteria.  I think the webinars I did are still up on the SS page.  It's been 3 years but the changes in the worksheets haven't obsoleted them yet.

 

 

 

[Pat Stanford]

For at least some of the criteria, you can use a Starts With option instead of an IS condition and it will automatically generate the criteria with the asterisk. 

 

As Michael says, it does not work with Layer Names. :-(

[Matt Overton]

I was able to do something simlar in the GUI using the less than A999 to get all starting with A. I wonder if greater than X000 would work?

Will have to look at wildcard next time.