>>How would you design a query interface friendly enough for this customer?
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>LOL, I got nailed with type of design issue before and ended up writing a massive data mining reporting app to alleviate the need for ad hoc query/reports because I could come up with a better answer.
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>Nowadays, whenever I have a scenario where end users need to articulate a request that relies on boolean logic... and those same end users have no clue nor need no clue about proper logic, I opt to recommend a wizard interface as opposed to a complex QBE interface. That way you provide hand holding, can rope the user into specifying good criteria, and can do stuff like Jim suggested with the mover list on a field level basis.
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>The smarter software gets the dumber users tend to get it seems... thats the real injustice in this humorous conversation of yours.

Yeah -- a wizard thats the way to go.

Jim's solution then is just one step in the wizard -- thus can be written as a general rather than structure solution.

Look -- I think this would be worth doing as a general product.

So one last question. There is really nothing like this out there? If I'm reinventing a third party product, this is the time to mention it. If something like this already exists, I guarantee we can sell it to our existing customer base -- which includes some very large companies who would need many,many licenses. Writing a product like this is better than having to write multiple query specfic screens for each customer. But simply reselling an existing product would be better still.

Note: Stonefield Query unfortunately does not qualify, because though it explains Booleran logic extremely well, it still requires users to use the AND OR terminology.

What I'm looking for may be called a reporting tool, rather that a querying tool.

I will also do some research and report back on a new thread if I find anything.

I will simply say that for us to start writing this, and find half way through that it already exists would be a Very Bad Thing. Even worse to find out after we finish.