How do I search for...?

Be sure to read Types of search for an overview of each type of search available in Vitalware.

A Boolean OR search is performed by adding a value to each row in a table:

ex_paste_multiple_values.png

If you have a list of search values (in MS Word or Excel for instance), it is possible to copy and paste the list rather than keying each value individually (a list of IRNs for example):

  1. Copy the list of values. In this example, the values are copied from an Excel spreadsheet:

    ex_paste_multiple_values2.png

  2. Select a row in the search field in Vitalware:
    1. Place the cursor in the field.
    2. Hit ENTER.

    A border will appear around the row:

    ex_paste_multiple_values3.png

  3. Right-click the selected row and select Paste (Insert) from the context menu that displays:

    ex_paste_multiple_values4.png

    Note: If the Paste (Insert) option does not appear, try reselecting the row.

    The values you copied will be added one per row:

    ex_paste_multiple_values5.png

  4. Run your search.

Tip: See NOT and NULL (an empty field) for details about why a NOT search will not return a record where the searched field is empty (has no value), even though logically an empty field does not contain the excluded term.

It is only possible to match a NULL value (an empty field) with the IS NULL or IS NOT NULL operators.

To return a field with any value in the field (IS NOT NULL), we use the asterisk wildcard:

  • * in Vitalware 2.5 and earlier
  • \* in Vitalware 3.0 onwards

To return a field with no value in the field (IS NULL), we combine the asterisk wildcard with the NOT operator:

  • !* in Vitalware 2.5 and earlier
  • \!\* in Vitalware 3.0 onwards

This combination says "search this field for NOT anything", in other words, nothing.

With the introduction of full Unicode support in Vitalware 3.0 it is possible to search for punctuation either as individual characters (?) or as part of a more complex string (fred@global.com). For instance, to search for a question mark, simply enter ? in the search field.

Note: For a comprehensive look at Vitalware's support for Unicode and the implications for searching, take a look at Support for Unicode.

If you are using Vitalware 2.5 and earlier, it is possible to search for punctuation if you have access to the Show Search function.

Keep in mind that in Vitalware 2.5 and earlier some punctuation marks are used as wildcard characters in searches (a ? substitutes for any single character in a search term, for instance) and it is therefore necessary to modify the syntax if you wish to search for any of the following characters (details below):

Special characters
^ (
$ )
* [
? ]
~ {
@ }

In this example we search for a dash (-) in the Notes field of the Parties module:

  1. In the field to be searched, enter any letter followed by the punctuation character to be located, e.g. a- or m? or z!

    It doesn't matter which letter is used, but it is necessary to include a letter before the punctuation character in order to generate a TexQL search expression:

  2. Select File>Show Search from the Menu bar to display the Edit Search box.

    Note: Access to the Show Search function requires a permission (daEditQuery) to be set for a user in the Registry. If you do not have this permission, the Show Search option will not appear under the File menu.

  3. It is necessary to edit the search statement.

    In this case the search is for a dash (-) in the Notes field of the Parties module and the statement to be modified is: NotNotes contains 'a-'

    Edit the search as follows:

    1. Replace contains with like.
    2. Delete the letter (a in this case).
    3. Enclose the punctuation character in asterisks (*).

    The result is: NotNotes like '*-*'

    Note: To search for one of the special characters listed in the table above (a question mark for example), it is only necessary to place a backslash (\) immediately before the special character, e.g.: NotNotes like '*\?*'

  4. Click OK to run the search.

When searching for records in Vitalware, it is possible to include search values in attachment fields.

For example, when recording a marriage, links are made to the bride and groom's birth certificates. The marriage is recorded in the Marriages module and the births are recorded in the Births module. The Marriages record attaches to the Births records using the Birth Registration: (Groom) and Birth Registration: (Bride) fields. Summary Data from the attached Births records display on the Links tab:

It is now possible:

  • To search for the bride and groom's marriage record using their births details:

  • To search the Births module using marriage details:

In the following example we search the Births module for all births that took place at the Winston County Hospital. To run this search you use the Hosp./Clinic: (Child) field in the Births module. This is an attachment field linking to the Parties module.

The following wildcards are useful for searching attachment fields:

Vitalware 2.5 and earlier Vitalware 3.0 onwards

Description
!+ \!\+ Use in an attachment field to return records that do NOT have any attachments.
+ \+ Use in an attachment field to return records that do have one or more attachments.

There are a four ways to run a search in an attachment field:

  1. Enter Winston County Hospital in the Hosp./Clinic: (Child) field in the Births module.
  2. Click Search (CTRL+F) in the Tool bar.

The Summary DataClosedA one line summary of key fields in a record. In Details View the current record's Summary Data displays beneath the Tool bar; and a Target record's Summary Data displays in an attachment field when an attachment has been made. of the Parties module is searched in an attempt to locate the record for Winston County Hospital; if located, a search is automatically performed in the Births module for records that attach to that Parties record.

This method works by performing a search of the attached module's Summary Data; any default search terms set up for the module being searched will apply. In the case of the Parties module, if the default search term for Party Type is Person (not Organiisation), the record for Winston County Hospital will not be located because its record has an Organiisation Party Type.

  1. Enter Winston County Hospital in the Hosp./Clinic: (Child) field in the Births module.
  2. Click Attach Attach beside the field.

    The Summary DataClosedA one line summary of key fields in a record. In Details View the current record's Summary Data displays beneath the Tool bar; and a Target record's Summary Data displays in an attachment field when an attachment has been made. of the Parties module is searched. If only one record is located, search data is copied into the Hosp./Clinic: (Child) field.

    If more than one match is found, the Parties module opens displaying the matched records. In this case:

    1. Select one or more record, and click Attach Current Record Attach Current Record to return the current record

      -OR-

    2. Click Attach Selected Records Attach Selected Records to return more than one selected record to the primaryClosedAn attachment is made from one record to another. The record from which the attachment is initiated is the Primary record; the record that is attached is called the Target. record.

    In the primary record, the returned data is displayed as <# 1 #>, for instance, with the number indicating the number of matching records returned.

  3. Run the search in the primary module.

    Vitalware searches the Births module for all records that are attached to the Winston County Hospital Parties record.

  1. Locate the Hosp./Clinic: (Child) field in the Births module.
  2. Click Attach Attach beside the field.

    The Parties module opens in Search mode.

  3. Search the module for the Winston County Hospital record.
    1. Select one or more record, and click Attach Current Record Attach Current Record to return the current record

      -OR-

      Click Attach Selected Records Attach Selected Records to return more than one selected record to the primaryClosedAn attachment is made from one record to another. The record from which the attachment is initiated is the Primary record; the record that is attached is called the Target. record.

    In the primary record, the returned data is displayed as <# 1 #>, for instance, with the number indicating the number of matching records returned.

  4. Run the search in the primary module.

    The Births module is searched for all records that are attached to the Winston County Hospital Parties record.

Note: If you want to search for any attachment to a field, type a plus (+) sign in the attachment field in the primary module and click Search (CTRL+F).

  1. Locate the Hosp./Clinic: (Child) field in the Births module.
  2. Open the Parties module and search for the Winston County Hospital Parties record.
  3. Select the relevant records and use the drag and drop method to copy the Summary Data into the Hosp./Clinic: (Child).
  4. Run the search in the primaryClosedAn attachment is made from one record to another. The record from which the attachment is initiated is the Primary record; the record that is attached is called the Target. module.

    The Births module is searched for all records that are attached to the Winston County Hospital Parties record.

Note: Methods 1 and 2 are simpler but less accurate than Methods 3 and 4 because the search is run only on the Summary Data field in the attachment module. Methods 3 and 4 allow you to search in any field in the attachment module.

It is possible to search for records based on the Record Level Security permissions assigned to users and groups.

In Search mode the Security tab typically displays as:

The group of Security fields at the top of the module window are used to search for records with permissions assigned to particular users or groups. For example, to search for all records for which a user or group has Display permissions:

  1. Click the Display: (Security) Lookup List Lookup List button to display the Select User/Group box.

    The Select User/Group box lists all available users and groups:

  2. Scroll through the list of users / groups and select the user / group to be added (e.g. user yanwei or Registrations):

  3. Click OK.

    The search criteria displays in the field:

  4. Run the Search.

    All records that the selected user / group has been given permission to Display are returned.

If a user or group has been removed from Vitalware, it is still possible to locate records for which they had permissions assigned by using the Security (Direct) fields:

If a user or group has been removed from Vitalware it is still possible, using the Security (Direct) fields, to locate records for which they had permissions assigned.

Note: This might be useful, for instance, if a user has left an organization and been removed from Vitalware before any records assigned to them were allocated to someone else.

A search in the Security (Direct) fields operates as a string search: that is, only exact matches for the search terms entered are returned.

The format of a search in the Security (Direct) fields is as follows:

  • To search for a user enter: userusername
  • To search for a group enter: groupgroup name

Thus to search for records for which the user yanwei or group Registrations has been given Display permissions, you would enter user yanwei or group Registrations in the Display field of the Security (Direct) group of fields:

Note: It is possible to configure Vitalware to search .pdf, .xls and .rtf documents.

When a Multimedia record is saved, the Documents table is searched for any HTML document. If one is found, the document is indexed for retrieval. If an HTML document is not located, a TEXT document is tried. Once again, if a document is found, it is indexed for retrieval.

Using this mechanism it is possible to provide full text retrieval for any document type (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, Project, Web Pages, WordPerfect, Lotus Notes) that can be saved in a textual form. Once saved as either HTML or TEXT, full text retrieval is available.

Note: When document media are added to a Multimedia record it is possible to have a number of alternative document formats generated automatically by the System. For example, when a Word document is added, it can be translated automatically into HTML, RTF and TEXT formats. A Documents Registry entry specifies which document types are automatically created when a document is added to the Multimedia Repository. The Convert Registry entry specifies how to convert one document type to another.

It is possible to search the content of documents stored in the Multimedia module that have a MIME type of text/html or text/plain. Use the Document text: (Attached Documents) field in the Multimedia module to search the content of text based documents:

The above query will search for the word test in any .doc, .txt and .html documents in the Multimedia module.