FlyBase:QueryBuilder Help

Query Builder Overview

QB takes advantage of how the data is stored in FlyBase to allow more sophisticated searches relative to QuickSearch or other search tools on FlyBase.

Using QB, you can search any field in a FlyBase report using a QuerySegment, and then combine the resulting hit-list with searches in other fields, allowing combinatorial searches that join QuerySegments with Boolean operators. (Note that Human Disease, Cell Line, Gene Group, and Strain reports are not currently accessible with QueryBuilder).

A set of results can be exported to QB from other searches on FlyBase, through the 'Export' button at the top of a hit-list, and then modified to refine the search by adding additional query segments.

Getting Started

Select one of the three options on the QB start page:

1. Select a pre-constructed QueryTemplate
2. Import a previously saved query
3. Build a new query

Select a Pre-constructed Query Template

The first option on the QB start page allows one to choose a query from a large collection of pre-constructed query templates. The available templates are organized by data type. To see the list of templates related to a given class of data, choose the data class of interest from the pull down menu at the left. A list of pre-constructed query templates will appear at the right and a data class-specific list of “keywords” will appear at the left. The list of templates can be further refined by selecting one or more of the keywords. Only the templates containing the chosen keywords will remain. To return to the complete set of templates for a given data class, just deselect the chosen keywords.

Example Templates:

1. List the genes associated with a specified gene ontology term (e.g. transcription factor activity) that are reported to genetically interact with a specified gene (e.g. bsk).
2. List the balancers for a specific chromosome (e.g.*3LR*) available in a stock.
3. List the lethal insertions for a specified gene (e.g. N).

When you find a template that matches or is similar to your query of interest, click on the template. This will bring you to a QueryBuilder Page with the specified query set up and ready to run. To modify the parameters to exactly match your own query specifications, use the green “Edit” tabs present in each segment of the query. Modify the search terms as desired, click “Finish Editing”, and then select “Run query”.

Import a Saved Query

Any QuerySchema (a collection of QuerySegments combined using Boolean operators) can be saved for running again at a later date using the “Store This Query” option on the QB results page. The QuerySchema is saved to your computer as a small text file. To run the query again, choose “Import a saved query” from the QB start page. Use the “Choose File” option to retrieve the file, click on the green “Done (activate query in new QueryBuilder session)” button, edit the query if desired, and then click on “Run query”.

Build a New Query

Click the yellow box on the QB start page titled' ‘Build a new query”. Follow the instructions below to either build a query using any text string of your choosing, build a query using controlled vocabulary terms, or to do an expression pattern query.