Advanced Techniques /< 



COMBIKATION SEARCHES (LJBt and Combine) 



One of the most powerful uses of the database is to make searches for 

 specific data. This is most often accomplished by combining several 

 search criteria across two or more data fields. Combined searches 

 are made in both the WCON and HPRO databases. 



Combined searches are made by combining t%io or more fields. In the 

 WCON Database these fields aret 



1 Program Type 



2 Person's Name 



3 Organization 



4 State 



In the WPRO Database these fields are: 



1 Program Type 



2 Program Attributes 



3 State 



Thus, in the WCON dateibase, a user could search for a couple of 

 Program Types and some States to see if these states had contacts for 

 these programs. In the WCON database, a user could search some 

 Program Types and some Program Attributes to see what the ciimulative 

 effects on %ratland8 of acquisitions emd taxation programs have been. 



A combined search is built by first executing a series of individual 

 searches, and then combining these individual searches by using 

 "Boolean logic." For those of you who may not remember Senior math. 

 Boolean logic tests the truth of statements using "and", "or", "nor", 

 etc. An example: if your car is registered in such a fashion that 

 either you or your spouse could sell it without being co-signed by 

 the other, then a Boolean "or" has been used. That is, the statement 

 "Ralph or Susan may sell the car" is true. The statement "Ralph and 

 Susan may sell the car" (i.e., it takes both of them) is not true, 

 because both signatures are not required to sell the car. 



Let's say that a user has been asked to gather some information to 

 present to a departmental %ratlands taskforce on whether the state 

 should promote a tax relief program, and whether the state should 

 pursue a more vigorous wetland acquisition program. If you decide to 

 follow along with the example, you may get different numbers of 

 "hits" because of updates to the database. 



To do this, the user will use the WPRO database to search for the 

 states that have these programs to see what the cumulative effects of 

 Taxation and Acquisition programs have been on wetland protection. 



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