Handling QSOs with QSL_SENT = N when a QSL was already sent to the same station

[dimarmnes]

Feature Description

At the moment, when preparing QSOs for sending QSLs, I do the following:
I apply a custom filter that shows all QSOs where QSL_SENT = N. This helps me collect the QSOs pending QSL, but the list also includes QSOs from stations to whom I have already sent a QSL in the past. Because of this, I still have to manually check the history of each callsign to avoid sending duplicate QSLs.

What I would like to achieve is the ability to create a user-defined filter that shows only:

QSOs where QSL_SENT = N, and

Callsigns for which I have never sent a QSL before

Different users might want to base this on callsign only (my case), or on callsign+band or callsign+band+mode. Being able to express this in a filter would make it much easier to identify which QSOs really require a first-time QSL, especially for large backlogs.

I’m putting this forward to know whether such a filter can already be created with the current syntax, or if this is something that could be considered for a future improvement.

Thank you very much for your work on QLog and for any guidance you can provide.

[foldynl]

Unfortunately, I have to correct you a bit in your proposal. Many hams interpret this incorrectly. Even in QLog at the beginning of its development, there was also a bug in the interpretation of the N parameter. N does not mean not sent, send it later, but rather do not send (see ADIF Spec). That is a significant difference. It says that you do not want this QSO to be sent at all.

What is, in my opinion, even worse in ADIF is that N (do not send) is the default value. This means that if no information is provided in the ADIF file, this value is assumed automatically. As a result, for example, importing from N1MM into QLog means that the imported QSOs will never be uploaded to online logs.

What I would recommend is marking QSOs as Q (an outgoing QSL card has been selected to be sent a QSO has been selected to be uploaded to the online service). Then everything will start working correctly and the proposed improvements in QLog will not be necessary.

[dimarmnes]

Thank you very much for the clarification regarding the ADIF meaning of QSL_SENT = N.
This was actually one of my long-standing doubts, so the explanation is very helpful. In my own workflow I normally use QSL_SENT = Q as the default, so I am already aligned with the recommended interpretation.

However, even when using “Q” correctly, the operational issue still remains.

In my workflow, I want to send only one QSL per callsign (others may prefer per callsign/band or per callsign/band/mode). When preparing a large backlog of QSOs to send QSLs, I still need a way to identify:

QSOs marked with QSL_SENT = Q,

but only for stations to which no previous QSL (Y) has ever been sent.

Even with the correct use of “Q”, this condition cannot currently be expressed in the user filter system. The limitation is not related to the ADIF flag itself, but to the fact that QLog currently cannot filter “first QSL per callsign”.

That is the core of the request.

If QLog allowed a user-defined filter like:

“Select QSOs where QSL_SENT = Q and the callsign has no previous QSL_SENT = Y”

the workflow would be completely solved while fully respecting ADIF semantics.

I am not asking for a built-in filter, but simply the ability to express this logic in a custom user filter. I believe many users who send only one QSL per station (or per band/mode) would benefit from such a capability.

Thank you again for the ADIF clarification and for considering this functional requirement.

[foldynl]

aha...I understand now. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that your request for a filter is very specific. We're talking about some more complex analytical functions that would be difficult for users to understand.

For now, I'll leave this open, but I don't think this will be implemented in the near future.

[dimarmnes]

Thank you for considering the request and for your explanation.
I fully understand that this type of analytical filtering can be complex to implement and may not fit QLog’s current philosophy.

Just as additional context: while looking for possible approaches in other logging software, I noticed that CQRLOG implements something similar to this idea, where it can identify “first QSO per callsign/band/mode”. I mention it only as a reference, not as a comparison or expectation — just to show that the concept might also be useful for some users.

In any case, thank you for keeping the issue open, and for your continued work on QLog.