PracticeMaster Q&A: Improving Filter Speed through a Permanent Index

April 2020    Tags: Filters, Indexes, PracticeMaster

I created a filter to only display my own Journal records. However, it is really slow. Is there any way to speed up the filtering process?

Creating a permanent index can dramatically increase the speed of a filter. When an index enabled filter is in use, the status indicator displays Filtered* with an asterisk.

To create a permanent index

1. From the Maintenance menu, select File Maintenance.
2. Select the desired file (e.g., Journal) and click OK.
3. From the Index tab:
   1. Click the  (New) icon.
   2. Enter an Index ID.
   3. Enter a Description.
   4. For the first Sort Order, select a field that matches the filter. In this scenario, the first sort will be by User_ID.
   5. If desired, select further Sort Orders.
   6. Click Done.

Now, when you use your filter in the Journal File, you will notice a significant increase in the speed in which the records are returned.

For more information on optimizing filters, see Knowledge Base Article R11487 “Working with Indexes, Filters and QuickViews.”