Index: dashboard-tests.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard-tests.scm
+++ dashboard-tests.scm
@@ -261,19 +261,34 @@
 ;; if there is a submegatest create a button to launch dashboard in that area
 ;;
 (define (submegatest-panel dbstruct keydat testdat runname testconfig)
   (let* ((test-run-dir      (db:test-get-rundir testdat))
 	 (subarea           (subrun:get-runarea test-run-dir))
-	 (area-exists       (and subarea (common:file-exists? subarea silent: #t))))
-    (if subarea
-	(iup:frame 
-	 #:title "Megatest Run Info" ; #:expand "YES"
-	 (iup:button
-	  "Launch Dashboard"
-	  #:action (lambda (obj)
-                     (subrun:launch-dashboard test-run-dir))))
-	(iup:vbox))))
+	 (area-exists       (and subarea (common:file-exists? subarea silent: #t)))
+	 (target            #f)
+	 (runname           #f)
+	 (cmd-parts-file (conc test-run-dir "/subrun-command-parts.sexp")))
+    (if (file-exists? cmd-parts-file) ;; existance of this file is sufficient to *try* opening a dashboard
+	(let* ((cmd-parts      (if (file-exists? cmd-parts-file)
+				   (with-input-from-file cmd-parts-file
+				     read)
+				   '()))
+	       (target         (alist-ref "-target" cmd-parts equal?))
+	       (runname        (alist-ref "-runname" cmd-parts equal?))
+	       (run-area       (alist-ref "-startdir" cmd-parts equal?)))
+	  (iup:frame 
+	   #:title "Megatest Run Info" ; #:expand "YES"
+	   (iup:vbox
+	    (iup:button
+	     "Launch Dashboard"
+	     #:action (lambda (obj)
+			(subrun:launch-dashboard test-run-dir)))
+	    (iup:button
+	     "Launch Dashboard+Filter"
+	     #:action (lambda (obj)
+			(subrun:launch-dashboard test-run-dir target: target runname: runname))))))
+	(iup:vbox ))))
 
 ;; use a global for setting the buttons colors
 ;;                           state status teststeps
 (define *state-status* (vector #f #f #f))
 (define (update-state-status-buttons testdat)

Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -64,10 +64,13 @@
 Usage: dashboard [options]
   -h                    : this help
   -test run-id,test-id  : control test identified by testid
   -skip-version-check   : skip the version check
   -use-db-cache         : access database via cache 
+  -target T             : prefill target filter with given target pattern
+  -runname R            : prefill runname filter with given runname pattern
+  -testpatt P           : prefill testpatt filter with given testpatt              
 
 Misc
   -rows R         : set number of rows
   -cols C         : set number of columns
 "))
@@ -86,10 +89,13 @@
                         "-xterm"
 			"-debug"
 			"-host" 
 			"-transport"
                         "-start-dir"
+			"-target"   ;; use as filter
+			"-runname"  ;; use as filter
+			"-testpatt" ;; use as filter
 			) 
 		 (list  "-h"
 			"-use-server"
 			"-guimonitor"
 			"-main"
@@ -1519,29 +1525,27 @@
  ;; #:title "Logs" ;; To be replaced with tabs
  ;; (let ((logs-tb (iup:textbox #:expand "YES"
  ;;				   #:multiline "YES")))
  ;;	 (dboard:tabdat-logs-textbox-set! tabdat logs-tb)
  ;;	 logs-tb))
+
+(define (dboard:runs-tree-txtbox-change tabdat val a b)
+  (if b (dboard:tabdat-target-set! tabdat (string-split b "/")))
+  (dashboard:update-run-command tabdat))
 
 ;; browse runs as a tree. Used in both "Runs" tab and
 ;; in the runs control panel.
 ;;
 (define (dboard:runs-tree-browser commondat tabdat)
   (let* ((txtbox (iup:textbox
 		  #:action (lambda (val a b)
 			     (debug:catch-and-dump
 			      (lambda ()
-				;; for the Runs view we put the list
-				;; of keyvals into tabdat target for
-				;; the Run Controls we put then update
-				;; the run-command
-				(if b (dboard:tabdat-target-set! tabdat
-								 (string-split b "/")))
-				(dashboard:update-run-command tabdat))
+				(dboard:runs-tree-txtbox-change tabdat val a b))
 			      "command-testname-selector tb action"))
 		  #:value (dboard:test-patt->lines
-			   (dboard:tabdat-test-patts-use tabdat))
+			       (dboard:tabdat-test-patts-use tabdat))
 		  #:expand "HORIZONTAL"
 		  ;; #:size "10x30"
 		  ))
 	 (tb
           (iup:treebox
@@ -1582,10 +1586,18 @@
                       (debug:print-error 5 *default-log-port* "tree-path->run-id returned non-number " run-id))))
               "treebox"))
            ;; (print "path: " (tree:node->path obj id) " run-id: " run-id)
            )))
     (dboard:tabdat-runs-tree-set! tabdat tb)
+    (if (args:get-arg "-runname")
+	(let ((runname (args:get-arg "-runname")))
+	  (update-search commondat tabdat "runname" runname)
+	  #;(hash-table-set! (dboard:tabdat-searchpatts tabdat) "runname" runname)))
+    (if (args:get-arg "-target") ;; 
+	(let ((target (args:get-arg "-target")))
+	  (iup:attribute-set! txtbox value: target)
+	  (dboard:runs-tree-txtbox-change tabdat #f #f target)))
     (iup:detachbox
      (iup:vbox 
       txtbox
       tb
       ))))
@@ -2777,10 +2789,15 @@
 	 (btn-fontsz      (dboard:tabdat-runs-btn-fontsz runs-dat))
 	 (cell-width      (dboard:tabdat-runs-cell-width runs-dat)))
     ;; controls (along bottom)
     ;; (set! controls (dboard:make-controls commondat runs-dat))
     
+    (if (args:get-arg "-runname")
+	(let ((runname (args:get-arg "-runname")))
+	  (update-search commondat runs-dat "runname" runname)
+	  #;(hash-table-set! (dboard:tabdat-searchpatts tabdat) "runname" runname)))
+
     ;; create the left most column for the run key names and the test names 
     (set! lftlst
 	  (list (iup:hbox
 		 (iup:label) ;; (iup:valuator)
 		 (apply iup:vbox 
@@ -2792,11 +2809,12 @@
 						      #:fontsize btn-fontsz
 						      #:expand "NO") ;; "HORIZONTAL")
 					   (iup:textbox
 					    #:size (conc 35 btn-height)
 					    #:fontsize btn-fontsz
-					    #:value "%"
+					    #:value (if (and (args:get-arg "-runname")(equal? x "runname"))
+							(args:get-arg "-runname") "%")
 					    #:expand "NO" ;; "HORIZONTAL"
 					    #:action (lambda (obj unk val)
 						       ;; each field
 						       ;; (field name is "x" var) live updates
 						       ;; the search filter as it is typed

Index: dcommon.scm
==================================================================
--- dcommon.scm
+++ dcommon.scm
@@ -1160,11 +1160,11 @@
 				       (lambda ()
 					 ;; (print "obj: " obj " val: " val " unk: " unk)
 					 (dboard:tabdat-run-name-set! tabdat txt) ;; (iup:attribute obj "VALUE"))
 					 (dashboard:update-run-command tabdat))
 				       "command-runname-selector tb action"))
-			   #:value (or default-run-name (dboard:tabdat-run-name tabdat))))
+			   #:value (or (args:get-arg "-runname") default-run-name (dboard:tabdat-run-name tabdat))))
 	  (lb (iup:listbox #:expand "HORIZONTAL"
 			   #:dropdown "YES"
 			   #:action (lambda (obj val index lbstate)
 				      (debug:catch-and-dump
 				       (lambda ()

Index: subrun.scm
==================================================================
--- subrun.scm
+++ subrun.scm
@@ -43,15 +43,17 @@
   (if (and (common:file-exists? (conc test-run-dir "/subrun-area") )
            (common:file-exists? (conc test-run-dir "/testconfig.subrun") ))
       #t
       #f))
 
-(define (subrun:launch-dashboard test-run-dir)
+(define (subrun:launch-dashboard test-run-dir #!key (target #f)(runname #f))
   (if (subrun:subrun-test-initialized? test-run-dir)
-      (let* ((subarea (subrun:get-runarea test-run-dir)))
+      (let* ((subarea (subrun:get-runarea test-run-dir))
+	     (params  (conc (if target (conc " -target " target) "")
+			    (if runname (conc " -runname " runname) ""))))
         (if (and subarea (common:file-exists? subarea))
-            (system (conc "cd " subarea ";env -i PATH=$PATH DISPLAY=$DISPLAY HOME=$HOME USER=$USER dashboard &"))))))
+            (system (conc "cd " subarea ";env -i PATH=$PATH DISPLAY=$DISPLAY HOME=$HOME USER=$USER nbfake dashboard " params))))))
 
 (define (subrun:subrun-removed? test-run-dir)
   (if (subrun:subrun-test-initialized? test-run-dir)
       (let ((flagfile (conc test-run-dir "/subrun.removed")))
         (if (common:file-exists? flagfile)
@@ -209,11 +211,14 @@
                          (cons "-log" logfile)
                          (map (lambda (item)
                                 (if (equal? (car item) "-testpatt")
                                     (cons "-testpatt" testpatt)
                                     item))
-                                switch-alist-pre))))
+                              switch-alist-pre))))
+    (with-output-to-file "subrun-command-parts.sexp"
+      (lambda ()
+	(pp switch-alist)))
     switch-alist))
     ;; note - get precmd from subrun section
     ;;   apply to submegatest commands
 
 (define (subrun:get-log-path test-run-dir log-prefix)