Vanguard Appraisals, Inc. CAMA-X Basic Queries and Query Lite

Copyright© 1995 – 2008 Vanguard Appraisals, Inc. Fall 2008

Vanguard Appraisals, Inc. CAMA-X

Basic Queries

and Query Lite

Copyright© 1995 – 2008 Vanguard Appraisals, Inc. Fall 2008 1

The Query Wizard is intended for use only when you want to print a query grid or for exporting query data. It will NOT create a query for use for printing a report. In other words, the running man will not be active for running a report. The following report option formats are predefined and the report format can not be changed. Parcel Detail reports allow for the printing of reports with/without parcel values and or sketch, photo, etc for batch process. This would be the same as using Views from the parcel search and/or maintenance screen. The Parcel Lists option allows for several report choices available to print parcel lists for various purposes. Occupancy List reports are typically used to print units of comparison other than single-family properties. It often compares similar commercial occupancies (i.e. apartments, franchise restaurants, motels, etc). General Sales reports display a list of sales within a time period defined by the user. The Report shows 24 property characteristics including typical units of comparison. Note: These sales reports are NOT sales ratio reports which are located under the Sales Ratio Analysis. Group Totals reports are a series of reports that counts properties by characteristic groups (i.e. counts by age range, condition, grade, style, value range, etc).


Select the Report option, choose the report format by checking the box and then press the Query Wizard button at the top of the screen to open the Query Wizard

Once a report option has been selected as in the above example, if you accidentally choose the Query Wizard REPORT OPTION instead of the Query Wizard button at the top of the screen, the below Warning will be displayed. Simply click cancel and then choose the Query Wizard button at the top of the screen.


Grouping Data & Where to find it?

If you look at a tab in the program you can determine what table you will need to have in the query in order to get the data that you want. The table names listed in the boxes above is the names that you will see in the Table list when adding a table to the query.

† To sum the amount of acres per parcel it is best to use the View_LandAcresSum table.

General & Status/Legal tab contents will be found in the General table.

Notes tab contents will be found in the Notes table.

Sales tab contents will be found in the Sales, SalesMultiPcl, and MN_Sale_CRV tables. Permits tab contents will be found in the Permits table.

Land tab contents will be found in the Land, LandFF, LandSite, LandValues tables. For ag land information look in Ag_Soil & Ag_Soil_Adj tables.†

Residential tab contents will be found in the Res_Appliances, Res_BsmtFinish, Res_Building, Res_Decks, Res_Extras, Res_Fireplace, Res_Garage, Res_Plumbing, Res_Porch, and Res_Veneer tables.

Commercial tab contents will be found in the Com_Adj, Com_Bldg_SSItems, Com_Building, Com_Extra, Com_Extra_SSItems, Com_VertHortz tables.

Ag Building tab contents will be found in the Ag_Building, Ag_Building_Adj, Ag_Building_SSItems tables.

Yard tab contents will be found in the Yard_Extra & Yard_Extra_SSItems table.

Prior Year tab contents will be found in the IA_Prior_Year table.

Values tab contents will be found in the IA_Values table.


New ~ Open ~ Save

Running Man

Setup

Execute

Add Table

Remove TableEdit Join

Remove Join

Remove Field

Edit Field

Remove Field

Table

Join


• A red arrow next to a field in the tables indicates that field is included in the grid. • A field may be added to the grid by simply dragging it from the table and dropping into the grid or by

double-clicking on the field name. • Fields in the grid may be rearranged by dragging and dropping. • When adding a table, the table is now automatically linked or joined. • When filtering always filter one field at a time then do the preview. This allows you to actually see the

filtering process and assures proper filtering. • If you right click your mouse button within the query grid, you may find shortcut methods to adding,

editing and deleting filters, joins and tables. • The predefined queries may not be overwritten. The simplest method for saving a query is to go to

File/Save As and rename the current query.


Double Clicking on the Filter 1 row of a field column will display the below Value Editor. Note: The filter tab is already selected.

Double Clicking on the Field, Show or Sort row of a field column will display the below Value Editor. Note: The Value tab is already selected.

Selecting the Command field will display a drop down box that allows you to choose from a variety of filters. Selecting the Lookup button displays the

Lookup dialog box which allows for browsing of the field values. If the lookup button is not live, there is no table associated with the field.


After selecting a PDF and selecting the Preview tab, notice I have 2310 records in the selected PDF.

Select the Query tab to continue with the filtering process. Selecting the Filter 1 row in the Parcel Class field will give me the parcels that are included in the select PDF AND the select Parcel Class. Choosing the Filter 2 row in the Parcel Class field would give me the parcels that are included in the select PDF OR the select Parcel Class.

An example of how filtering affects the results: Filtering PDF 1, shows me 2310 parcels. Filtering PDF 1 AND Parcel Class 2, shows me 2215 parcels. Filtering PDF 1 OR Parcel Class 2, shows me 4452 parcels.


Sorting by the various fields is accomplished by double clicking on the Sort row in the appropriate field column.

The below Value Editor is displayed with the Value tab selected. Clicking on the Sort field displays a drop down box with the sort choices, Ascending or Descending order. After selecting Descending order select the OK button.

After selecting the Preview tab, the following results are displayed.


Notice the query results are now sorted by Appraised value in Descending order.

Tips

The Field grid has a popup menu that is accessed with a right-mouse click. In it are some handy operations such as:

• Copy and Paste filters between fields • Clear individual filters • Clear all filters for the selected field


To Export query results to an Excel spreadsheet:

While on the Preview screen, select File and Export. The screen below is then displayed.

Type a File name and then select the file location.

Selecting the file location button above, displays the Select file name dialog box. Select where you want to put the export file and click Save. Hint: I always put everything on my Desktop so I can find it.


Select OK to Save the File to your specified location.

This Information is displayed showing the file create was successful. Select OK.


After opening Excel, Select File and Open.

The Open dialog box opens. Select the location of the file.

Select All Files from the Files of Type drop down box.


Notice the VCS file was exported with all the field headings and each field that was included in the Query grid. Also notice it is still sorted by Appraised value.

Select the File to Open and then select the Open button.


The Query-Lite feature is available from the Find drop down box in Parcel Search. The available Query-Lite formats are the standard Query-Lite, Query-Lite with Notes and Query-Lite with Sales.

The Query-Lite feature utilizes a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement to find parcels with given criteria. When this option is selected, three databases with fields are available to find the parcel(s). It is recommended to use one field, one filter command and a field value to find parcel(s). If more than one field is needed you will need to determine if this is an AND or an OR condition to get the correct results. This is similar to when you use the Query Wizard. If all filters are on the same line in Filter 1 then it would be an AND condition or if the Filters are staggered (stair case look) then it is an OR condition. When the particular query is selected, the screen would appear with the fields found within the database(s). Scroll down to view all the fields available within a given database. To start, if there is a current filter, select the Clear button.


Select a field to query and the values will be displayed by pressing either the Sample Values that would only show the first 20 entries or All Values to display all available values.

Select a field by double clicking on the field name. Select a filter command by selecting the appropriate button. Select a Value by selecting the appropriate value and then select the Insert Value button.


Query Lite Filter Commands are used to search value types. The filter command joins the field and corresponding value to facilitate the parcel search. The Query Lite Filter Commands are as follows: = To include parcels that are equal to that given value. > To include parcels that are greater than the given value. < To include parcels that are less than the given value. <> To exclude parcels that are equal to that given value. >= To include parcels that are greater than or equal to that given value. <= To include parcels that are less than or equal to that given value. % To use as a wildcard for one or more character substitutions. Some fields cannot be found by wildcards

and this button becomes inactive. _ To use as a wildcard for only one character substitution. Some fields cannot be found by wildcards and

this button becomes inactive. Like To include parcels with similar values. And For use to tie statements together to include parcels that are equal to 2 or more given values. Or For use to tie statements together to include parcels that are equal to all of the given values. Not For use to tie statements together to exclude parcels that are equal to the given values.

You may TYPE the command CONTAINING to include parcels that contain the given value. In this example you could then type a last name with single quotes enclosing the name. The results would be any deedholder field that included ‘smith’ in it.


Once you have selected the criteria, select the Verify button. An information screen is displayed advising if your query is valid. If no errors, select OK on the information screen and then OK on the Query Lite screen.

The following Easy Browse screen displays the results of your Query-Lite. Selecting Print would print the entire list. Selecting a parcel line and the OK button would load the parcel into maintenance.


To save the SQL statement for later parcel retrieval, right-click anywhere within the screen to open the menu to send the statement as a *.VQL file to a directory. The file saved could be loaded at any time.

To load a saved SQL statement, right-click anywhere on the Select screen to open the menu. Select Load SQL. Select the *.VQL statement to load. Press the Open button on the directory to place the SQL statement onto the screen. Press the Ok button to run the query. The Easy Browse screen with the selected results can be viewed at any time by selecting the Find button drop down within Parcel Search. Select Review Search Results and the Easy Browse screen will be displayed again. You may only review the results of the most current Query-Lite query.


With version 13 of CAMAvision and newer there is now a feature called Favorites. This will allow you to scroll through your parcel list that you obtained by using the Query Lite option. To use the Favorites list of parcels, click on the heart shape found in the toolbar next to the Next/Previous buttons at the top of the Parcel Search screen.

When the Favorites button is depressed then when you click on next, previous, first parcel, or last parcel buttons, it will increment through the parcel list that you generated by using the Query Lite. Once you click on the Favorites button so that it is not depressed then it will go to the parcels in the database without the Query Lite selection applied to it.

Vanguard Appraisals, Inc. CAMA-X Basic Queries and Query Lite

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