# Viewing Filtered Messages

APRS text messages can be selectively filtered and formatted for convenient collection of field-entered data, as described by Bob Bruninga WB4APR in his Data Reporting treatise. The View->Show Filtered Messages menu choice opens a window with three tabs:

- a text field which receives the selected messages, one message per line, with an option to write the messages to a log file.
- filtering options to select the messages by sending station, destination addressee, and/or text content of the message.
- formatting options to specify how each message should be displayed in the text field and log files.

Until the window is opened the first time, messages will not be filtered and saved; once the window has been opened, the filtering and saving will continue (based on the current settings on the filter and format tabs) until YAAC is shut down.