Working with Queries

A Query pulls data from a DatasourceA connection from Informer to a database or other system of record, such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or UniVerse.. Its two main parts are Fields, the columns it returns, and Criteria, the conditions that decide which rows come back. Build a Query visually with the Query Designer, or write the statement yourself in Native SQL.

The Query Designer, with the building blocks in the left rail.

Why Queries matter

A Query is the question you ask a DatasourceA connection from Informer to a database or other system of record, such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or UniVerse.. Get the Fields and Criteria right once, and that question can feed a DatasetA saved, queryable collection of data pulled from one or more Datasources. Datasets are the foundation for reports, dashboards, and AI data analysis., drive a Report, or run on demand for a quick, live answer. The same builder produces both kinds of Query, so the skills you learn here carry across everything Informer reads from a database.

The two kinds of Query

	Dataset Query	Ad Hoc QueryA saved, parameterized query in Informer. Together with Datasets, Ad Hoc Queries are the data foundation Magic Reports build on.
Stores results?	Yes, indexed and reusable	No, results are live and short-lived
Who sees the results	Anyone with access to the Dataset	Only the user who ran it
Can save Visuals?	Yes	No
Best for	One source of truth shared across Reports	Fast, temporary answers with run-time parameters

Both run against a Datasource, both have Fields, Criteria, and Flow Steps, and both are built the same way. An Ad hoc Query is a kind of Report; a Dataset is its own category of content. You can convert an Ad hoc Query into a Dataset Query when you decide its results are worth keeping.

The building blocks of a Query

The Query Designer's left rail breaks a Query into the pieces you can shape:

Block	What it does
Fields	The columns the Query returns, drawn from the Datasource's mapping.
Criteria	The conditions (Where clauses) that filter which rows come back.
Order By	The sort order of the results.
Row Limit	A cap on how many rows the Query returns.
Inputs	Run-time parameters that prompt the person running the Query.
Flow Steps	Post-query transformations: add Fields, reshape, combine, and more.

In this section

Chapter	In one line
Overview	What a Query is, and Ad hoc vs. Dataset Queries.
Fields and Actions	Add Fields, aggregate Fields, field options, and Query actions.
Criteria	Filter which records a Query retrieves.
Order By and Row Limit	Sort results and cap the row count.
Inputs	Run-time parameters that prompt for a value.
Flow Steps	Reshape results after the query runs.
Viewing Data	Field options while viewing a result set.
Filtering Data	Post-query Filters: create, configure, and save.
Actions	Export, copy, bundle, benchmark, and organize.
Appendix	Date keywords, Saved Lists, and Power Script variables.

Where do I look when...

You want to...	Where
Build a new Query	Overview
Choose which columns appear	Fields and Actions
Narrow the rows returned	Criteria
Prompt the runner for a value	Inputs
Transform results after the query runs	Flow Steps
Narrow the results without changing the Query	Filtering Data
Export, bundle, or organize a Query	Actions
Keep a Query's results for reuse	convert it to a DatasetA saved, queryable collection of data pulled from one or more Datasources. Datasets are the foundation for reports, dashboards, and AI data analysis.

Also available through the REST API

Everything on this page is built on Informer's public REST API, the same one the product uses, so your scripts and integrations can do it too. Developer reference: Queries.