Hi all,
here is the situation :
- Create a filter A
- Create a filter B
- Create a filter C by merging filter A and B
- Modify filter A : for example add some symbols and relationships, remove some others
The question is : how to update C so that it reflects changes made in A ?
- Option 1 would be to manually apply the same modifications to C that were made to A. Not allways feasible if modifications to A are not documented.
- Option 2 would be to merge the new A with B and get a new and updated C. The trouble is we may have modified C itself inbetween ....
- Option 3 : what happens if we merge again C with itself and the new A ? Do we get the desired result, i.e. : new A filter definitions + B definitions + modifications made to C after the initial merge ?
Thanks !
Note : this is similar to that question dating from 2009
Hello Michel,
two things to consider here: The merge operation of two filters will produce a filter that contains the union set of 2 filters. So you cannot do modifications like removing elements from A and merging the removal on C. Likewise if you remove anything from C that originated from A in the merge, merging A onto C again will re-add it.
Also remember that every filter has got an identity, a GUID. So merging two versions of the filter "C" is not possible. They cannot exist in the same tenant at the same time. You first have to "duplicate" the filter C (producing a filter "D" with a new identity). Then you could modifiy either of them and use them in a merge operation. Also observe that just changing a filter's name does not change its identity.
Since the only filter operation is "merge", the only feasible strategy is to maintain partial filters and merge them to a productive filter. You should not modify the productive filter, if you want to generate it from partial filters. If you want to know the delta between two filters there is a report, which you can start on a selection of two filters: "Filter comparison report". It will produce an Excel file with only the differences, if you want.
So, to answer your initial question: Open Filter C. On step 2 of the wizard select "Merge filters" and select filters A and B. If you modified C in between, first create a new filter D from a merge of A and B. Then do a filter comparison between C and D, decide which changes are those of C and not those of A. Redo those changes in either A or B, so you can create C again cleanly from A and B. If you want, do a test merge F and compare it to your desired result C. Anyway try to return to having consistent base filters.
In reply to Hello Michel, by M. Zschuckelt
