More elaborate filtering possibilities for events view

[Darius1968]

As is, the events view offers a very convenient timeline-like display, which is very handy for remembering events in a convenient chronological order. 

I have also been lately using data-driven categories to enumerate a tree branch of my events, which I find, in the present state of IMatch, to be necessary because I can - this way - make use of the search bar for a more advanced query, provided that I've also mapped the event into a metadata tag or an attribute.  Also, I can narrow my scope of events with which to search by restricting that data-driven category to some other category. 

With my above outlined scenario, the event view could be, in my opinion, more functional, if its filtering did have some of the more advanced capabilities, found in the search bar.  If not, it would at least be helpful, if, like data-driven categories, there were the possibility to 'clamp' this event view to a category, thereby narrowing the scope to more relevant criteria under review at the given moment. 

[Mario]

I'm not sure that I understand what you propose in your feature request.

The Event View has a powerful filter function, allowing you to find events by name, description, event category, place and persons participating in the event.
This filter dialog also creates a very compact list of all events you have created, for quick navigation.

When you select an event, IMatch shows the files in the event in a regular file window, with search bar and Filter Panel etc.

If you need more complex event-based organization, you can use Events. Variables to create data-driven categories, e.g. group files by event category or place or persons or even a combination thereof. Combining the power of IMatch variables with the power of IMatch data-driven categories.

You can use the Variable filter in the Filter Panel to filter any View in IMatch by all event properties available via Events. Variables.

I think is this already plenty of stuff you can do and should deal nicely with requirements beyond the filtering already available in the Event View.

Maybe provide some examples of what you are trying to do and cannot, so I can understand better.

[Darius1968]

Yes, the variables that are available for events allow filtering with a wide scope of possibilities, with the ability to enumerate with a data-driven category and the new variable filter panel, both which facilitate the use of regular expressions. 

I think what I'm missing, however, (and is why I currently have to have an attribute along side the event variable) is the ability to have multi-search terms that can be evaluated in terms of boolean expressions.  This, for me, is invaluable in making it easy to use a process of elimination to narrow down the result-set, if there are many events that meet one search term, for instance.  In that case, relying on just the search in the events view can be cumbersome because although there are many different fields that can be searched at once, the search entry can only evaluate only one term at a time, not having been given the capability of a boolean search.  This would be one of the 'extensions' I'd be looking for. 

[Mario]

Provided that the average number of events (telemetry) is about 100, I doubt that many users will really need complex boolean search operations in the event filter.
If filtering by event category + event title + event persons and date is not sufficient, your event structure must either be unusually large or complex.

Let see if a number of other users also wants more complex searches in the Event View.

[ubacher]

Just a comment: I tested events to replace my existing cataloguing via categories but found that the number of events would
very quickly become so large as to be (currently) unmanageable. I can thus understand Darius's need.

So I am staying with my existing method to handle events -but - I find the event functionality
VERY useful for other purposes - basically to store sets of files  for future quick access.

[Mario]

Would it not be simpler to use categories to store sets of files?

I mean, events are always associated with a starting point and duration at their core. And many other properties.
This is overhead not needed if you just want to store a set of files, right?

I don't know how many events you have created so it became unmanageable, even with the help of the Event Filter dialog or the event filter in the Filter Panel...?
I would assume that users create events for thinks like vacations, birthdays, festivities and other special 'events'. 20 to 50 events per year, maybe?
If a user creates an event for every day, the regular Timeline already organizes files by day, week, month, quarter and year, as needed.