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Submitted by WayneK on 2016/12/07 21:30

It's probably just me but I continue to find the search function difficult to use. I hope someone can give me a tip on how to make better use of it.

I was working in one of my grids when I noticed that a subitem relating to a Dr's appointment appeared to be missing. I did a search using the Dr's name. This produced a list of hits containing the Dr's name.

But from there I was stuck. My appointments are identified by an adjacent date column. The search grid does not display a date column nor can you add a date column (as far as I can tell). Without being able to see the date column, I cannot tell which appointment is which.

Why can't I add columns to the search grid and how do I find particular items without the clues provided by associated columns (like dates)?

Thanks, Wayne

Comments

"Why can't I add columns to the search grid" I think I requested this once and agree it is a needed feature. When searching for certain items such as those you mentioned, without the ability to define columns, it can be very difficult to identify the item you're looking for. If for some reason it's difficult to allow us to define our own, then a few more default columns such as Done and Appointment Date would be very useful.

Hi Wayne,

When in Live-Search, simply choose Show items in the Search grid and you'll see all ot them. If the column you want is not there, simply add it. Remember also there is always the Properties pane to provide this information, whereever you are.

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

... also (there always seems to be an "also" with IQ), you can choose the "Show Details" option while in the Live Search ("binoculars") grid:

This shows you search results by field. So you can see not just that it was in a certain item but that it was eg in the HTML Pane of that item, and maybe in some other field of it as well. Like you, Wayne, I find it's rarely enough to see the Item column alone. I find Show Details incredibly useful.

If you use the Advanced Find tool, you can choose an arbitrary grid to display the results in, including the Scratch grid. Also, you can choose to limit your search to a particular grid ("Source View").

I too found the process a bit difficult to grasp, but it makes more sense to me the more I use it. I see Live Search as a kind of overview or jumping-off point where you can adjust the amount of detail you see. From there you can choose to see results in other grids - Search, Scratch, the "current grid". If you choose to view them in a Search Grid, you can add/remove columns there as in any other grid. Once you add a column to the Search grid, it will "stick" and be there the next time.

One neat thing you can do - carry out a search, show it in a Search grid, then do a Save As on it - bingo, a saved search!

DavidF.

[quote=WayneK]nor can you add a date column (as far as I can tell).[/quote]

[quote=David_H]I requested this once and agree it is a needed feature.[/quote]

[quote=Pierre_Admin] If the column you want is not there, simply add it.[/quote]

Since neither Wayne nor I have been able to, my question is "how?!"

Live-Search is described here: 1. Live-Search

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

Well unless you prove it to me :-p I maintain that unlike regular grids, a column cannot be added to the search tab.

While I can't add columns to the Live Search (binoculars) grid, I can add columns to the Search grid by all the usual methods. So if you have items in the Live Search grid and you want to see field values for those items in columns, click the "Show in Search Grid" button. Then add your desired columns to the Search Grid by any of the usual methods.

I dont have IQ in front of me to check, but wondering might ye be mixing up the Scratch and Search grids?

IIRC search items are first shown in the Scratch grid -- I dont remember if this can be changed.

Columns cannot be added to the Scratch grid, again IIRC

EDIT// wondering why it is setup like this Pierre?

Is there a practical advantage to first having the Scratch grid? (I think it might be that one can have multiple scratch grids open with different contents, but the Search grid shows what it shows, if you change it's source, what was in it disappears.)

I add columns to the Scratch grids all the time!

Having 2 "temporary" grids is not too much I think:

Scratch grid is exactly that, a changing grid. IQ adds / removes columns to it depending on what triggers to show it
Search grid shows search results. AFAIK, IQ does not mess up columns, you have full control over what is shown in it.

Which grid is actually used is defined in Manage Fields. By default it is Scratch and Search.

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

You are mixing up the "Live-search" and the "Search Grid". The "Live search" is the place you land after you have initiated a search via Ctrl+F. This is not a traditional grid which is why the only thing you can do afaik is to rearrange the order of the columns but not add/remove.

If you click the button "Show items in the Search Grid" then a new "Search Grid" opens with the items. This grid you can customize just like any other grid.

[quote=ethanrox]

If you click the button "Show items in the Search Grid" then a new "Search Grid" opens with the items. This grid you can customize just like any other grid.

[/quote]

that's it -- as said above, I (always) thought that was some kind of scratch grid...

[quote=ethanrox] You are mixing up the "Live-search" and the "Search Grid". The "Live search" is the place you land after you have initiated a search via Ctrl+F. This is not a traditional grid which is why the only thing you can do afaik is to rearrange the order of the columns but not add/remove. If you click the button "Show items in the Search Grid" then a new "Search Grid" opens with the items. This grid you can customize just like any other grid. [/quote] Thanks Ethanrox! This is what I was missing. Sometimes I make assumptions about the UI based on other programs and miss the obvious. When I select "show items in a new search grid" from the drop down, I assumed it should just happen from that action. When, as you do that, the title of the button on the left changes to the "show items in new search grid", I thought that title was a reflection of what I just selected, I didn't realize that was a button that I then had to click again to make it happen!

yep I had the same confusion at the beginning. Having an intermediate step is not bad imho although it may seem to slow things down cause it is JUST ONE "Grid" where you are bound to land, while the user can have multiple "Search Grids" open at the same time. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have the column sets applied to the different Search grids so you can have different contexts for different types of items.

[quote=DavidF] One neat thing you can do - carry out a search, show it in a Search grid, then do a Save As on it - bingo, a saved search![/quote]

One of these years I'm going to take a week of vacation and sit on the beach and devote it to learning all the things IQ can do that I'd use but didn't even realize were there

. Not really, but it actually would be a little fun.

Your going to need 2 weeks on the beach, 'cause lots more coming your way, in terms of feature set. In v88 just out and even more in v89, which will contain a really big surprise to all users...

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

[quote=Pierre_Admin]

Your going to need 2 weeks on the beach, 'cause lots more coming your way, in terms of feature set. In v88 just out and even more in v89, which will contain a really big surprise to all users...

[/quote]now you're talking, Pierre !!