Create Selections from Queries

When you specify the properties of a query, you can select whether to create a selection from its results for use in other areas of the program. When you select to create a selection, you can select whether users can access the selection in the query screen to create output fields and filters for other queries.

To create a selection from a query, you must select whether to create a dynamic or static selection.

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Dynamic - A dynamic selection automatically refreshes each time you use it. When you use a dynamic selection in a function, the program searches the database for any new records that meet the criteria of the selection and adds them to the results. For example, you can use a dynamic selection to track system administrators assigned in the application. Every time you use the selection, it includes administrators you recently added, even if they did not meet the criteria when you previously used it.

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Static - A static selection is like a snapshot of your database at the time you first create it. The program only includes the records that meet the criteria when you first create the selection. The selection includes these same records until you refresh it.

Note: Deleted records are not included in static selections, even when those recrords were deleted after the selection was created.

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For example, you can use a static selection to track system administrators assigned in the application. However, each time you use the selection, it does not include administrators you recently added, even if they meet the selection criteria. To manually refresh a selection, regenerate the results for the query you used to create it. To automatically refresh a selection, include it when you create a business process.

Note: You cannot save a selection based on an ad-hoc query that contains summary output fields unless it also contains the primary key field of the query view. For example, for a constituent query, the primary key field is the Constituent record field. The use of summary fields can cause the output to not contain unique values (a primary key), such as when you select the average age among all constituents. Therefore, to create a selection from a query, you must explicitly include the primary key field in the query. If the primary key is not included, the Create a selection checkbox is disabled.