# Not found results from queries

**URL:** https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028
**Category:** New Feature Requests
**Created:** [February 1, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028 "2023-02-01T21:58:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Plarson](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/plarson/32/797_2.png) [@Plarson](https://speciforum.org/u/Plarson)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028/1 "2023-02-01T21:58:50Z")

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I feel like this is a luxury request and is a long-shot in terms of how much would have to be built to support this - but when using the ‘in’ option on a query followed by a comma-separated list, it would be handy for the query to identify or report which requested items _weren’t_ returned in the query.

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### Author: ![Grant](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/grant/32/4255_2.png) [@Grant](https://speciforum.org/u/Grant)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028/2 "2023-02-01T22:04:41Z")

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Hi @Plarson,

In Specify 7, you can currently run a query with the “negate” ![negate](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/specifysoftware/original/2X/b/b499d84c01b0d6c9cd541a68c4b16d42a26abf8e.png) operator for a query item ([documentation](https://speciforum.org/t/specify-7-query-builder/289#step-6-choose-your-operators-for-each-field-6)) that will return all items that do **not** match the query field.

If you are filtering by that comma-separated list, you could run it once without the negate function to see all returned results, then again with the negate button used so that you can see all query results that were excluded by the original query.

Does this fit your workflow or would you want Specify to return all results not returned by the entire query?

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### Author: ![Plarson](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/plarson/32/797_2.png) [@Plarson](https://speciforum.org/u/Plarson)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028/3 "2023-02-07T16:08:54Z")

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Not exactly… I’d like it to identify items that are missing completely from the database. For example, if I intended to catalog items with catalog numbers 143959 through 146323, I would like to query that range using “in,” supply it with the list of expected numbers, and see if I missed any in the results. something like “Not found: 144835, 14523” would be helpful. As is, I can just export and open the results in Excel to inspect for missing items, hence this would be a ‘luxury’ feature.

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### Author: ![Grant](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/grant/32/4255_2.png) [@Grant](https://speciforum.org/u/Grant)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028/4 "2023-02-07T22:32:12Z")

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Hi @Plarson,

I have created a feature request on our GitHub tracker for the ability you described in the query builder:

> <https://github.com/specify/specify7/issues/2956>
>
> \> I feel like this is a luxury request and is a long-shot in terms of how much w…ould have to be built to support this - but when using the ‘in’ option on a query followed by a comma-separated list, it would be handy for the query to identify or report which requested items weren’t returned in the query.
> 
> \>Not exactly… I’d like it to identify items that are missing completely from the database. For example, if I intended to catalog items with catalog numbers 143959 through 146323, I would like to query that range using “in,” supply it with the list of expected numbers, and see if I missed any in the results. something like “Not found: 144835, 14523” would be helpful. As is, I can just export and open the results in Excel to inspect for missing items, hence this would be a ‘luxury’ feature.
> 
> \*\*Requested By:\*\* Paul at FWRI (\[Speciforum\](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028))

Thank you for taking the time to share your request!

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### Author: ![nfshoobs](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/nfshoobs/32/3979_2.png) [@nfshoobs](https://speciforum.org/u/nfshoobs)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028/5 "2024-07-08T14:23:08Z")

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Just saw this post for the first time, and wanted to add Ohio State to the list of institutions that want this feature. It would be handy, as otherwise the only way to know what you’re missing is by exporting a .csv of the query and checking the results against the query using a formula/script.

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### Author: ![Grant](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/grant/32/4255_2.png) [@Grant](https://speciforum.org/u/Grant)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/not-found-results-from-queries/1028/6 "2024-07-08T14:45:07Z")

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Hi @nfshoobs,

I’ve added Ohio State as a requestor as well and added the details from your comment to the issue. Thank you!
