Filtering Options

Filtering in the Public Talks list is handled through three complementary tools: the Category Filter, the Additional Filters menu, and the Advanced Filters panel. Each filter type targets a different aspect of the talk data, and all three can be used together to narrow the list to exactly what you need. The sections below explain how each filtering method works and how they interact.

Figure 73. Additional Filters menu with the Advanced filter controls enabled.

How to Access

• From the menu: Database → Public Talks
• From the toolbar: Click the Filter button above the talk list.

Category Filter

The Category Filter lets you quickly narrow the list by outline category.

• When no category is selected, all talks are displayed.
• When you select a category, only talks assigned to that category are shown.
• The filter is applied immediately and does not affect any congregation‑specific data (such as Count, Notes, and Last Given).

Use the filter to quickly locate talks within a particular category, such as Family/Youth, Christian Living, Prophecy, or any other category defined in the database.

Additional Filters

The Additional Filters menu (opened from the Filter button above the talk list) provides several toggle‑based filters for refining the talk list. These filters can be combined with one another and with the Category Filter.

Filter	Options	Description
Has Media	Has Media / No Media	Filters talks based on whether they include media (slides, images, etc.). These options are mutually exclusive.
Excluded	Excluded / Included	Filters talks based on whether they are marked as excluded in your congregation. These options are mutually exclusive.
Booked	Booked / Not Booked	Filters talks based on whether they have a future booking or scheduled assignment. These options are mutually exclusive.
Never Given	—	Shows only talks that have never been given in your congregation (no last-heard date and never invited).
Unassigned	—	Shows talks that have no speakers assigned. This may indicate your speaker list needs updating or highlight talks that could be assigned locally.

How These Filters Combine

All enabled Additional Filters are applied simultaneously.
For example, you can combine:

• Category: Christian Living
• Has Media
• Not Booked
• Unassigned

The talk list updates automatically as filters are enabled or disabled.

Advanced Filters

The Advanced option in the filter menu enables a more precise, data‑driven way to filter the talk list. When enabled, an additional filter panel appears above the list, allowing you to build a structured filter based on a field, an operator, and a value.

Advanced filtering works in five simple steps: 

1. Enable Advanced Mode

Choose Advanced... from the filter menu.
The advanced filter controls become enabled above the talk list.

2. Choose the Field

Use the Field combo to select which part of the talk record you want to filter on.
Examples include:

• Theme
• Notes
• Number
• Count
• Outline date
• Last given
• Next invited
• Excluded from

Each field has a specific data type (Text, Number, or Date).
The system automatically selects the correct operator set and input control based on the field you choose.

3. Choose the Operator

The operator defines how the selected field should be compared to the value you enter.
The available operators depend on the data type of the selected field.

Field Type	Operator	Description
Date / Number	=	Equals (default)
	!=	Not equal
	<	Less than
	<=	Less than or equal
	>	Greater than
	>=	Greater than or equal
Text	=	Exact match
	!=	Does not exactly match
	Contains	Field contains the specified text (default)
	Does not contain	Field does not contain the specified text
	Starts with	Field begins with the specified text
	Ends with	Field ends with the specified text

4. Enter the Value

The value control changes automatically based on the field type:

• Date fields show a date picker.
• Number fields show a numeric input with spinner.
• Text fields show a free‑text edit box.

5. Apply the Filter

After entering your value, click Apply (✓) to apply the filter.

The talk list updates when you click Apply.

How Advanced Filters Interact with Other Filters

Advanced Filters work alongside the other filtering options. You can combine:

• One Category Filter
• One or more Additional Filters
• One optional Advanced Filter

The talk list displays only talks that match all active filters.

For example, you could display only Christian Living talks that are Not Booked, then apply an Advanced Filter to show only those whose title contains "family".

Clearing the Filter

To remove the current advanced filter and return to the full talk list, click Clear Filter.

Related Topics

• Finding Entries

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