GoldMine allows you to create groups, which are fixed subsets of contact records that meet specific sets of conditions. When you select a group, the contact database appears to contain only the members of that group. All other contact records are hidden from view. Groups are ideal for navigating, emailing, print labels, and other types of operations on a specific set of contacts.

While creating groups is a powerful feature, it can also be very complex; frequently, you need to know the SQL language and the structures of the GoldMine tables to create the group you want. An example of a group that's very difficult to create in GoldMine is all contacts that have a specific value in a field in a certain detail type. On the other hand, Stonefield Query makes it very simple to create a subset of records by filtering. So, using the Create/Update GoldMine Group function in Stonefield Query is a quick and easy way to create a group in GoldMine.

To use this feature, first select a report and set a filter that will result in the desired subset of contacts. Next, select the Create/Update GoldMine Group function in the Tools Menu. GoldMine must be running when you select this function or you'll get a warning message.

Fill in the name of the group you wish to create. If you want to update the members list of an existing group instead, select it from the dropdown list. Enter the desired code value for the group and click the OK button. Stonefield Query will perform the query to get the matching subset of records, and then create (or update) the specified group so it consists of that subset.