Property semantic types in query

Assigning property (field) semantic types to fields in different entity or link types allows those fields to be searched together as if they were the same field. This typing can be used to group fields from various item types that contain the same information.

About this task

For example, Offenders might have a "Surname", Suspects a "Last Name" and Witnesses a "Family Name". All these fields contain the same sort of information. If these fields are assigned the Person Last Name semantic type, then you can search all the fields together by using the semantic type as a condition in the query.

You can search property semantic types in all the entity or link types in your database, or to a specific entity or link semantic type or specific entity or link type.

Note: To use semantic types in a query, your database must be SQL Server with semantic types assigned.

Procedure

To search fields of the same semantic type across all entity types:

  1. Drag the {Any Entity Type} icon from the Structure area onto the pane on the right.

  2. In the Conditions area, click the first line of the table below the Field heading and select <semantic type...>.

    All the property semantic types for semantic entity types are displayed.

    Some of the property semantic types that are listed might not be assigned in the database, but are the parents of types which are assigned. For example, Person First Name and Person Last Name may both be assigned, so Generic Name (their parent type) is included in the list.

  3. Click a property semantic type to view more information about the selected type. If you know the name of the type you want, you can locate it quickly by typing the first few letters of any word in the property name in Search Available Semantic Types. As you type, possible matches are displayed. If the word matched is part of a semantic type name with several words, the full semantic type name is shown in brackets. Select the semantic type that you want in the list. It will also be selected in the main tree view.

  4. To filter the list of properties to show only property semantic types that have been assigned to a field in every entity type being searched in the query, turn on Show only common types. This can result in an empty list.

  5. Click OK to update the Field column of the Conditions area with the selected property. The field is identified as a semantic type as it is enclosed in curly brackets { }.

  6. Specify the rest of the condition using the available operators.

    Note: Certain operators are not available when using property semantic types, including any that are negative.

  7. Click Results to run the query.