Online Help | Desktop App

Advanced preferences

Updated in 2022.1

With advanced preferences, you can adjust the advanced behavior of your Desktop App to suit your needs. For example, you can limit the number of records to retrieve in a grid and configure the startup behavior for the Desktop App so that you can log in to application automatically with the last entered credentials. You can also configure the performance of the selection dialogs and set the rule for the filter conversion.

Options window - Advanced tab

You use the Advanced tab of the Options window to customize the advanced behavior of the Desktop App. To access the Options window, select Tools > Options from the main menu.

Performance section - specifies how to display database records in a grid:

Login dialog section - specifies how to log in to the Desktop App:

Advanced filter options section - specifies whether to convert the Quick filter to the Advanced Filter automatically:

  • Convert Quick Filter to Advanced Filter automatically when saving views - enables the automatic conversion of the Quick filter to the Advanced filter. For details, see Converting Quick filter to advanced filter.

Applying advanced preferences

Click a task to see detailed instructions:

  • ClosedLimiting the number of records to retrieve

    All records are stored in the SQL Server database and retrieved from it when necessary. You can limit the number of records retrieved at a time by applying an Advanced Filter.

    Applying this option is reasonable if your network connection is slow and the number of records to retrieve is large. Using this option, you can avoid long waiting and reduce network traffic.

    If you have limited the number of records to retrieve, the retrieved records may be not the ones you expect to see. To resolve this issue, it is recommended that you define a sort order by applying an Advanced Filter.

    To limit the number of records to retrieve or remove the limitation:

    1. Click Tools > Options, then click the Advanced tab.

    2. In the Performance section, enter the desired number in the Limit number of records retrieved from the database to field.

      To remove the limitation, enter 0 (zero).

    3. Click OK.

  • ClosedConfiguring selection dialogs

    You can tell the Desktop App to display all selection dialogs (the Select [Object] windows and the similar ones, where you select various objects) initially populated with records, or you can display those dialog boxes empty.

    Starting with empty selection dialogs is reasonable when your network connection is slower and the number of entries to display is large. To view records for selection, enter your search criteria in the Text to find and In fields. To view all available records, click Find with the Text to find field blank.

    To control whether to display selection dialog boxes empty or populated with records:

    1. Click Tools > Options, then click the Advanced tab.

    2. To start with empty selection dialogs, clear the Always prepopulate object selection dialogs with data check box under Performance.

      To display selection dialogs populated with records, select the check box.

    3. Click OK.

  • ClosedShowing and hiding the Log in dialog

    This option allows you to show or hide the Log in to Alloy Navigator Express window appearing when you start the Desktop App.

    If you configure to hide this window, beginning from the next time you start the Desktop App, you will log in to Alloy Navigator Express automatically with the last entered credentials.

    To show or hide the login dialog for the Desktop App:

    1. Select Tools > Options from the main menu, then click the Advanced tab.

    2. In the Login Dialog section, select theAlways show login dialog check box. To hide the login dialog, clear this check box.

    3. Click OK.

  • ClosedConverting the Quick Filter to the Advanced Filter

    When you work with data views, you likely apply the Quick Filter to filter your records on the fly, i.e. use the Filter commands from the context menu (Filter by Selected Field / Filter Excluding Selected Field), the Quick Filter icon in the column headers, and the filter row above the grid to display only those records that meet your criteria. The Conditional Panel below the grid displays all applied quick filters. For details on the Quick Filter, see Using the Quick Filter.

    If you want to save your quick filters, allow Alloy Navigator Express to convert the Quick Filter to the Advanced Filter any time you save the data view. The next time you open this view, only the filtered records will be retrieved from the database, which will drastically improve performance of filtered views. For details on the Advanced Filter, see Using the Advanced Filter.

    To enable or disable converting the Quick Filter to the Advanced Filter:

    1. Select Tools > Options from the main menu, then click the Advanced tab.

    2. Under Advanced filter options section, select the Convert Quick Filter to Advanced Filter automatically when saving views check box.
      If you do not want the Quick Filter converted to the Advanced Filter, clear this check box.

      NOTE: When Alloy Navigator Express converts the Quick Filter to the Advanced Filter, it adds the new filtering conditions to the existing advanced ones.

    3. Click OK.

Related Information:

Using the Quick Filter

Using the Advanced Filter

Related Information for Administrators:

Making fields mandatory