Example filters
Introduction
For more info, see Filter and also the wiki manual on Filters. When creating custom filters, always make sure you have the Filter Gramplet in the sidebar visible. This allows testing the filter on real data before putting the filter in general use. Test each filter individually... don't set up a 2nd stage filter until the 1st stage has been tested. To test: in the Filter tab of the sidebar, select the custom filter you made; then click the Find button.
Create a custom filter with the following steps:
- Click on Edit in the menu bar to display the drop-down list
- The last item is the ____ Filter Editor and it is contextual, changing the filter editor to only show filters for the category of the current View
- Click on the Filter Editor
- Click on Filter Editor Add a new filter to start creating a new filter
- Give your filter a unique name
- Click on Define Filter : Rule List Add another rule to the filter to see the filter rules (limited to those available in the current View)
- Select an appropriate filtering rule
- Add further rules as needed
- Select the appropriate Define Filter : Options pop-up menu item to define how the rules interact. The [[man menu|All rules must apply}} option is selected by default. This is only necessary when there are multiple rules.
- Click on the Define Filter OK
- Click on the Filter Editor Close Note that new custom filters (or changes) only take effect after closing the Filter Editor.
There are rules to allow you to use filters defined for another View. In this way you can build up complex filtering involving several Views.
Custom Filters are resource hungry Very large databases may encounter resource limitations when handling some complex filters |
Most of the following examples appeared on the Gramps-Users mailing list in response to posts from users and cover Gramps versions 3.4.x to 4.1x
Construction of custom filter examples
Please note these conventions for the construction of Filters:
<Viewname> Filter Editor.................Editor for this particular View
Filter <filtername>:...........................................................................................................Name of new filter
<rule name> ........................................................Filter rule selected
OR
<rule group name> => <selected rule name> ..........................................Filter rule selected from a drop-down group of rules
Option selected ................................................................................................................. All/At least one rule must be obeyed
Use regular expressions ................................................................................................. Blank if not required
<Run Filter <filtername> in <Viewname> View> .....................................................Where to run the new filter
1-stage FILTERS
Example 1. All sources that have no repository
Source Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> Sources with <count> Repository references; Number of instances:="1"; Number must be:="lesser than" OR Sources with a reference count of <count>; Reference count must be:= "lesser than"; Reference count:="1"
All rules must apply
<Run Filter A> in Source View
Example 2. All individuals with no name
Comment: In Person View, click on the Name column to get the names in alphabetical order. All blank surnames will be at the top of the list
The following filter will display only the blank given names and/or surnames
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> People with the <name>; Given Name:=^$; Full Family Name:=^$
Use regular expressions
All rules must apply
<Run Filter A> in Person View
Example 3. All female descendants of Joan Doe
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Descendant filters=> Descendants of <person>: <here find the ID of Joan Doe> ; Include original person General filters=> Females
All rules must apply
<Run Filter A> in Person View
2-stage FILTERS
Example 1. All people with only one parent recorded
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> Persons with the <name>; Given name:="(^$|[uU]known)"; Full Family Name:="(^$|[uU]known)"
**Use regular expressions**
All rules must apply
Filter B:
Family filters=> Children of <filter> match; Filter name:="B"
All rules must apply
THEN <Run Filter B> in Person View
Comment: If both parents are unknown you probably won't have any gramps ID assigned for them
Example 2. Individuals with siblings named “John”
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> People with the <name>: Given Name:="John"
All rules must apply
Filter B:
Family filter=> Siblings of <filter> match: Filter name:="A”
All rules must apply
THEN <Run Filter B> in Person View
Example 3.“Timeline” of all people associated with a particular place
Place Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> Places matching the parameters ;Name : <here insert name of place>
All rules must apply
Event Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filters=> Events matching the place filter: Place filter name:=”A”
All rules must apply
THEN <Run Filter B> in Events view
Configure the View to show columns for Type, Description, Date, Place. Order the items by Date to get a timeline.
OR Alternative 2: Event Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> Events with data : Place:= <here insert placename>
Comment: if the Event type default is "Birth"., just delete it
All rules must apply
THEN <run Filter A> in Events View
For an ordered list of the people add the following filter:
Person Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filters=> Persons with events matching the events filter: Events filter name:= "A".
All rules must apply
THEN <run Filter B> in Person View
Example 4. All marriage events on the ancestral tree dated after 1837 for a named individual
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Event filters=> People with the personal <event>; Personal event:= Marriage; Date:= after 1837 Event filters=> People with the family <event>; Family event:= Marriage; Date:= after 1837
**At least one rule applies**
Filter B:
General filters=> People with the name; <here insert name of individual> General filters=> People matching the <filter>; Filter name:=”A”.
All rules must apply
THEN <run Filter B> in Person View
Example 5. All persons called "serge" having some connection with London
Event Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> Events with : Place:="London"
All rules must apply
Person Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filters=> Persons with events matching the <event filter>: Event filter name:= "A" People with the <name>: Given name:="serge"
All rules must apply
THEN <run Filter B> in Person View
Comment1: There is no way of going between people and places except by way of events they were involved in at those places
Comment2: What looks like a minor bug appears when Person filtering on names: a few extraneous individuals appear. They are spouses, included because their married name (or occasionally spouse) is recorded in the database as their Alternative Name
Example 6. Obtain a ‘focused’ descendant chart containing only a subset of the people
Select the subset by tagging manually in your direct ancestral line up from your living relative. Call the tag, say, LINE 1.
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> People with the <tag>; Tag:="LINE 1"
All rules must apply
Filter B:
Family filters=> Children of <filter> match: Filter name:="A" Family filters=> Spouses of <filter> match: Filter name:="A" Family filters=> Siblings of <filter> match: Filter name:="A"
**At least one rule must apply**
THEN <run Filter B> in Person View to display the “focussed” tree
OR:
Reports=> Graphs=> Relationship Graph=> Report Options=> Filter "B" to obtain a chart. Save as SVG for further manipulation
OR:
Family Trees=> Export=> Forward=> select Gramps XML package=> Forward=> Person Filter. Click the drop-down list and select filter B to save the filter results as another family tree. Name and export that gpkg; then you can create a new family tree and import the gpkg back into it.
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Ancestral filters=> Ancestors of <person> ID:= <here find YOUR ID>; Inclusive:=0 i.e.note: don't include yourself
All rules must apply
Filter B:
Descendant filters=> Descendant family members of <filter> match; Filter name:="Filter A"
All rules must apply
THEN <Run Filter B> in Person View
Comment: note the difference between the UP filter ("Ancestors") which is restrictive and the DOWN filter ("Descendant family members of filter) which is inclusive. The former keeps the line of relationship away from the wife; the latter brings in your own in-laws ("Matches people that are descendants or the spouse of anybody matched by the filter")
Comment 2: the filter falls down on people who are not strictly connected to you by marriage but only indirectly i.e. people who were married at some time to one of your in-laws, i.e.."in-laws of in-laws".
If you want to incorporate those links as well, add a further filter as follows:
Filter C:
Descendant filters=> Descendant family members of <filter> match; Filter name:="Filter B"
**At least one rule must apply**
THEN <Run Filter C> in Person View
Comment 3: you can widen the reach of the links further by adding more filters in the same form as filter C - until your patience runs out
Example 8. All married males with family name containing rechter/richter
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Event filters=> People with the family <event>: Family event=> Family:= Marriage General filters=> Males
All rules must apply
<Run Filter A> in Person View to check
THEN in the Filter sidebar, enter r[ei]chter in the Name field, for the Custom filter select Filter A, check Use regular expressions. Click Find.
Example 9. All descendants of Joan Doe of female or unknown sex
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> Males
All rules must apply
**Return values that do *not* match the filter rules**
Filter B:
Descendant filters=> Descendants of person:=<here find the ID of Joan Doe>; Include original person
All rules must apply
THEN <Run Filter B> in Person View
3-stage FILTERS
Example 1. All marriages where the event is a "Personal" event but not part of a Family
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Event filters=> People with the family <event>; Family Event:="Marriage"
All rules must apply
**Return values that do *not* match the filter rules**
Filter B:
Event filters=> People with the personal <event>; Personal Event:="Marriage"; Primary role:="1"
All rules must apply
Filter C:
General filters=> People matching the <filter>; Filter name:= "A" General filters=> People matching the <filter>; Filter name:= "B"
All rules must apply
<Run Filter C> in Person View
Example 2. People with events with place, to show an ancestor's descendants with no known birthplace
Place Filter Editor
Filter A:
Position filters=> Places with no latitude or longitude given
All rules must apply
Event Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filters=> Events with the particular type: Event type:="Birth" General filters=> Events of Places matching the <place filter>: Place filter name:=”A”
All rules must apply
Person Filter Editor
Filter C:
Descendant filters=> Descendant family members of <person>:= <here select the particular ancestor ID> General filters=> Persons with events matching the <event filter>: Event Filter name:=”B”
All rules must apply
<run Filter C> in Person View
Example 3. All direct ancestors (and their siblings) of some person in set periods, e.g. 50 yrs
Comment: For example, to show when the migration from country to town took place
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Descendant filters=> Descendant family members of <person>; select the person's ID; Include the original person
All rules must apply
Event Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filter => Events of persons matching the <person filter>: Person filter name:= "A" General filter=> Events with : Event type:= "Birth"; Date:="between 1650 and 1750" (say)
All rules must apply
Place Filter Editor
Filter C:
General filters=> Places of events matching the <event filter>: Event filter name:= "B"
All rules must apply
<run Filter C> in Place View
Example 4. End of the line ancestors from a particular person X (Jones)
Deal with the father's and mother's side separately.
[father's side]
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Family filters=> People missing parents
All rules must apply
Filter B:
Ancestral filters=> Ancestors of <person>: ID := <here find ID of person X> General filters=> Males General filters=> People with the <name>:Full Family Name:="Jones"
All rules must apply
Filter C:
General filters=> People matching the filter; Filter name:="A" General filters=> People matching the filter; Filter name:="B"
All rules must apply
<Run Filter C> in Person View.
[mother's side]
repeat A, B, C but in Filter B substitute the ID of the mother of X for the ID of X, and the family name of the mother of X for the name “Jones”.
Comment: if the spelling of the surname has changed over the generations, you'll need to use a regular expression for the Full Family Name in Filter B and enable “Use regular expressions”
Example 5. Show birthplaces of all people with the surname Whitesmith
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
General filters=> People with the <name> : Full family name:="Whitesmith"
All rules must apply
Events Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filters=> Events of persons matching the <person filter>: Filter name:="A" General filters=> Events with the particular type: Event type:="Birth"
All rules must apply
Places Filter Editor
Filter C:
General filters=> Places of events matching the <event filter>: Event filter name:="B"
All rules must apply
<Run Filter C> in Place View to check
These Places can be displayed in Geography View
Select All Known Places, but use Filter sidebar with Custom filter "C" to restrict the places shown to birthplaces of the Whitesmith family
[Acknowledgement: thanks to S. Noiraud for pointing out this very useful combination of filter and Geography View]
Example 6. People with a common ancestor with <person>, their spouses and their spouse's children
Person Filter Editor
Filter A:
Ancestral filters => People with a common ancestor with <person>
All rules must apply
Filter B:
Family filters => Spouses of <filter> match: Filter name:="A"
All rules must apply
Filter C:
Family filters => Children of <filter> match: Filter name:="B" General filters => People matching the <filter>: Filter name:="A" General filters => People matching the <filter>: Filter name:="B"
At least one rule must apply
<Run Filter C> in Person View
4-stage FILTERS
Example 1. People with surname Doe who lived in Illinois State
Place Filter Editor
Comment: previous Filter A written for gramps 4.1 does not work in gramps 5 with the new Place hierarchy. It needs to be replaced by new Filter A:
General filters=> Places enclosed by another place: Name:= "Illinois"; Place type:= "State" Inclusive:="1"
[NOTE "Include selected Gramps ID" - this is important or the filter excludes events where "Illinois" is the first part of the place address title]
All rules must apply
Event Filter Editor
Filter B:
General filters=> Events of places matching the <place filter>: Place filter name:="A"
All rules must apply
Person Filter Editor
Filter C:
Event filters=> People with the personal <event>: Personal event:="Residence" Event filters=> People with the personal <event>: Personal event:="Death" Event filters=> People with the personal <event>: Personal event:="Birth"
**At least one rule must apply**
Filter D:
General filters=> People with events matching the <event filter>: Filter name:= "B" General filters=> People matching the <filter>: Filter name:= "C" General filters=> People with a name matching <text>: Text:= "Doe"
All rules must apply
<Run Filter D> in Person View.