How do I use joins to connect data in 360 Reports?
Answer
Getting different data objects to appear in the same report row depends entirely on how they are 'joined.' Understanding the types of joins—Direct, Indirect, and Constrained—is the key to building the report you need.
Direct Joins
A direct join is a simple, non-stop connection. One object links straight to another.
Example
- Objects: A Company Distribution Group and User
- Relationship: They are a direct join. Their information will automatically appear together in the same report row.
Indirect Joins
An indirect join is a connection that requires a "middleman" object. The two objects you want to report on don't link to each other, but they both link to a third, common object.
Example
- Objects: A Company Distribution Group and Company (Vendor)
- Relationship: These objects do not have a direct join. However, both objects have direct joins to User. To show Company Distribution Group and Company (Vendor) in a report, you must also add the User object, which allows all three objects to appear on the same report row.
Constrained Joins
A constrained join is a relationship where the data from one object is pre-filtered or permanently restricted to a specific subset before the join occurs. This filter is permanently built into the link itself, regardless of any conditions you set in the report.
Example
In the Directory & Portfolio data set:
- Objects: Contact and Project
- Relationship: This specific join is limited to contacts that are categorized as 'Project Contacts.' When you build a report with Contact and Project, only contacts designated as 'Project Contacts' will appear in the same row as a project. All other contacts are excluded from this specific relationship.