I want to select all accounts in group 0120 excluding those which have an optional field set.

I can select the accounts with the optional field set, but when I combine the crteria using this approach:

ACCTGRPCOD = "0120"  AND (A.ACCTGRP01 != "120-5")

I get a skipped row (ie no output, and no error). (the redundant parantheses don't make any difference, ie

ACCTGRPCOD = "0120"  AND A.ACCTGRP01 != "120-5"

also fails.

I used FR Paste to build the criteria and it spat out the following:

="(ACCTGRPCOD = ""0120"" AND A.ACCTGRP01 != ""120-5"")"

Unfortunately, that gives the result I describe: there is no row ouput for the line in the report. Skipped completely.

Then there is nothing that matches the criteria.

Split into two rows, they both match correctly. I know this because as a workaround, I use two rows, showing both balances and subtract them using non-FR formulas (in context, acct grp 0120 is Fixed Assets and I'm tagging the accumulated depreciation contra accounts with the optional field, as a second level of Account Group; the accumulated depreciation balance sheet accounts also belong to 0120 so a total on acct group 0120 gives net asset value)

There are two possiblities.

a) != doesn't work in this case (software bug), or

b) the account with the optional field does not have ACCTGRPCOD = "0120".(logical mistake by me). But the accuml deprec. accounts with the optional field set to "120-5" do have the correct Account Group setting.

So I think there is a bug in !=

Maybe the "-" character in the value of the optional field causes problems.

This is what I mean by two rows:

Using this selection criteria, I get two rows in my report, both with the correct account balances.

Trying to get all accounts in 0120 which does not have the optional field set gives nothing.

Note that the accounts that do not have that optional field value in fact have no optional field setting at all. Maybe that is the problem ...

Yes, my last insight in the post above was the problem.

If there is no optional field value defined, it is treated as a failed match.So to fix the problem, I have to assign an optional field value to all accounts in the account group I am working with. Perhaps there is something like "OR no optional field value" but I'm moving on now, it works.

I would forget about the optional fields, they are a bad idea in my opinion, and setup a group code in the GL for accumulated depreciation of say 0121 and use that instead. If you want net assets then use group code 0120 and 0121. Just my 2c...