Advanced Lists

Enable users to create or view advanced lists

A platform manager can assign users the list admin role. See roles and tasks for instructions.

A user with the list admin role can access all data in the lists. This includes data which is not controlled by profile access or directory settings. We strongly recommend you only grant employees who need access to this data the list admin role. Likewise, take care when you grant users access to view list results or use the Favorite Lists Portal channels.

Understand your database

All information for your school's 'Blackbaud's Education Management' products is stored in your database. The structure of the database correlates to how your school runs in the real word.

For example, your school may have one or more campuses, each campus has several buildings, and each building has several offices. Typically, buildings have specific purposes. Alums are probably managed from a single building and specific tasks for alums (such as giving and communications) may be managed from specific offices. Admissions, Academics, and Athletics are likely handed in similar ways.

To handle this, the database would include tables of information about the departments, the campuses, the building names, room names, and more.

Understand queries

A query is a request for information from your database. It doesn't change any data; it only shows you the data. Sometimes there are multiple ways to request the same information; there may be multiple ways to create a query which fulfills your need.

Objects - the tables or pieces of data in your database; these may be fields or information calculated from other fields; for example: a student record probably includes the student's name, birth date, current age, and more
Filters - the criteria used to limit the results
Display fields - results and related data about those results

SQL - structured query language

For example, imagine this scenario: If you needed to visit a student at 9:15am, how would you do it?

You might go to the school campus, review the schedule to learn what block is meeting, review the student's schedule to learn what class the student has during that block, find the room where the class meets, go to the room and see him sitting in a row at his desk. Or you might do something different, but still find the student.

In this example, the school is like your database. Information about the class are objects. The filters are the student name and the time. The row and seat where he sits are like display fields.

Determine who can access basic and advanced lists

A platform manager can give users (including users who are not managers) access to lists in your school's database.

Select Reporting.
Select Manage Lists
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
Select List admin.
Select Access.
Choose:
1. Advanced role access to add or remove advanced lists access by role.
2. Advanced user access to add or remove advanced lists access by user.
Select Save & exit.

Create an advanced list

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
List templates can be a great starting point if you don't want to create a list from scratch.
Select Add, followed by Create advanced list.
Enter a name for the list. The name should remind you or other users of the purpose for the list.
Select an existing category or create a new one.
Enter a description. Consider describing when to use the list or the information it contains. If other users can access the list, the description gives them context to better understand its purpose.
Select the objects of data that you want the list's query to use.
- Some objects include other objects. Select + on the parent object to view its children.
- Objects are connected by either inner or outer joins.
  - Inner - the query only finds fields that both objects have in common. For example, all users with "staff role" also have the "user role." It's like the center region of a Venn diagram.
  - Outer - the query find fields from each object. In a Venn diagram, it's like both circular regions.
Filter the objects to only include data that meet your criteria. For example, you many want to only see result from the current school year.
For Display fields, select the data that you want to view in the results.
For Order by, select how the results should be sorted.
Preview the SQL statement. This runs your query based on the objects, display fields, and other criteria you selected.
Select the Output options.

Copy a basic or advanced list

When you copy a basic or advanced list, the original list remains unchanged. You create a new list (copy) that only uses the topic that the original list used.

Platform managers, the creator of the list, and anyone who has been granted access or security rights to "copy" the list can do this.

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
Select Copy next to the appropriate list.
Edit the all desired fields.
Select Save & exit.

Create a category

Users create categories. You'll assign a list to a category when you create or edit the list.

Alternatively, you create a category and then assign lists to the new category.

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
From Options (at the top-right) select Organize.
At the top of the screen:
1. Enter a Sort Order (optional).
2. Enter a Category name.
3. Select the Add link.
Select Save & exit.

Delete a category

You can delete a category you previously used to organize lists.

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
From Options (at the top-right) select Organize.
Select Delete(next to the list name).
Select Save.

Rename a category

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
From Options (at the top-right) select Organize.
Change the name for the appropriate list in the Category column.
Select Save.

Assign or reassign a list to an existing category

Users can assign lists to categories previously created.

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
From Options (at the top-right) select Organize.
In the Category drop down list next to the list name, select a category.

You can also add lists to categories when you create a category, create a list, or edit a list.

Determine a sort order for categories and lists

By default, categories appear in alphabetical order. Lists appear alphabetically under each category.

Change the order to group similar items or frequently used items.

Select Reporting.
Select Manage lists.
Select Manage basic and advanced lists.
From Options (at the top-right) select Organize.
In the Sort order column, enter numbers to use to display the lists on the My lists screen.
Select Save.

Advanced Lists

Use categories to organize basic or advanced lists