Grouping is an option you can use to sort the records that populate the grid at the bottom of Find screen. It allows you to sort the records in very specific and multifaceted ways.

Grouping is available in most Find programs throughout iMerchant, but is not available in all of them.

In the Find screens where Grouping is available, after you run a search, you will see a Grouping button in the Task Bar

The arrow at the right of the button allows you to Enable and Disable Grouping

Select the one you want.

The next time you enter this specific Find screen, Grouping will be turned set to how you last left it.

With Grouping = Enabled:

• Click on the Grouping button.
• This calls up the Choose Groups and Totals window.
  • This is where you will determine how the records listed on the Find screen should be sorted.
  • You can create as many sets of sorting criteria (queries) as you want for each Find screen.  
  • A particular set of sorting (i.e., Grouping) criteria is saved to your system as a query.
  • To Create a Sorting Query
    • Click on the Manage Saved Groups button.  
    • Select Create a new Sort Selection to save.
    • The New Saved Group window appears. 
    • Enter the name of your new Sort Selection in the field 
    • Save with Current Settings
      • Checked = duplicates the search criteria from the query in previous window (Choose Groups and Totals) and places them into the new query you are creating, then you can add whatever additional sorting features are needed for the new query. You would do this if the new queries sorting criteria are very close to the existing query in question
      • Unchecked = none of that happens
    • Click on the Apply button
    • This accepts the name and creates the new query.
    • You will are returned to the Choose Groups and Totals window
    • The name you just selected will display in the Select Saved Group Options field.

Now that you have named your new query, you need to create its sorting criteria and decide how you want the query to sort the records on the Find screen

Look at the lower portion of the window.

There are four columns Sort Selection, Sort Order, Totals, and Page Break.

You need to create rows to place beneath these columns that will define the sorting criteria. 

• To add a row, click on the Add to List button just above the Sort Selection column heading.

• The fields beneath the columns will fill in.
• Click on the arrow at the right of the field
• Select the Sort Selection category that you want to use to sort the records when using this query.
  • e.g. select Author Last Name, the records back on the Find screen will be sorted alphabetically by Author Last Name
• Sort Order allows you to decide how you want the sort to be arranged (Ascending/Descending).
  • e.g. if you sort the records by Author Last Name and select Ascending
  • the records will be sorted alphanumerically from the bottom up (from lowest to highest numbers, from A to Z, alphabetically).
  • If you select Descending, the sort will be reversed from Z to A, and from highest to lowest numbers.
• The Totals checkbox:
  • Checked =  Totals will be shown underneath each sort grouping in the list of records.  
  • Unchecked = Totals will not be shown.
• The Page Break checkbox:
  • Checked = page breaks will be inserted between different sorting groups when you print the list of records
  • Unchecked = page breaks will not be inserted

There are three more checkboxes to be aware of in the upper right corner of the Choose Groups and Totals window

• Final Totals: Checked = At the very end of the records list final totals for all of the records on the list will be noted.
  • IF you print the list Final Totals will be found at the bottom of the printed report
• Totals Only: Checked = prints only select information for each sorting group, without giving you line item detail.
• Count: Checked = lists the total number of records within a defined Sort Selection group.  
  • e.g. if the grouping consists of 10 authors, the Count will be 10. 

When you are finished filling in the fields you can either click on Apply at the top of the window, or click the Add to List button to add another Sort Selection.

Clicking on Apply will take you back to the Find screen, and the records will now be sorted according to what you just defined here in the Choose Groups and Totals window. 

If you need to Delete a row, highlight it, and click on the Remove from List button to the right of the Add to List button.

If you want to Save the Changes to a query before applying the query:

• Click on the Manage Saved Groups button.  
• Choose Save the current Sort Selection.
• Your new query is now saved.

If you need to Delete a Query:

• Click on the Manage Saved Groups button.
• Choose Delete the current Sort Selection.
• The query is deleted from the system.

To find an Existing Saved query

• Click on the arrow at the right of the Select Saved Group Options field.
• Select the one you want, and its sorting criteria will display in the window.

You can have all existing queries display in the submenu (ones created by all users), or you can have only the queries you yourself saved be displayed.

• To determine whether you want all queries, or just the ones you created and saved, to be displayed, do the following:
  • Click on the Manage Saved Groups button.
  • Select Include Sort Selections saved by all users if you want all saved queries to display  
  • Select Include Sort Selections saved by [your name] if you want just the queries you saved to display
  • A checkmark will appear just to the left of the selection you made
  • You can toggle back and forth between the two as desired.