Simple Search

Documentation Query Building
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Overview

Simple Searches in Specify are designed to streamline the process of searching data fields that are indexed by default in Specify databases. This feature helps alleviate the need for complex, structured queries for simple and frequently executed searches.

It can also show results from indexed fields in other tables. For example, searching for an Agent name can display results from both the Agent table and the Determinations table related to that agent.

Customizing Simple Search is currently only possible via Specify 6, but those configurations can be carried into and imported to Specify 7.

Using Simple Search

Simple Search dialog
Simple Search dialog936×342 25.5 KB

Steps to Execute a Simple Search

  1. Click on the :search_: Search icon in the navigation menu, or select the “Search” box on the home page.

  2. Enter Search Criteria: Enter your query, using wild card characters as needed to refine your search.

  3. Execute Search: Press the Return key
    or click on the Search button to perform the search

Date Searches

There are only two supported date formats when using Simple Search: %m/%d/%Y and %Y-%m-%d.

Wild Cards and Quotes

In Specify, wild cards and quotes serve different purposes in refining search results:

Wild Cards

Specify supports three primary wild card characters when using Simple Search, the ‘Like’ operator in the Query Builder, and when searching from a query combo box form. The operators behave in the following ways:

Wildcard Represents Placement Restrictions Example Usage Matches Examples
* Zero or more characters Can be used at the start and end of a search string, but not between characters. *123*, 123* *123* matches “Field123”, “Data123Field”, “123Data”; 123* matches “123Data”, “123”; but not “A123B”.
% Zero or more characters Can be used anywhere in the string. %123, 123%, A%BC, A%B% %123 matches “Data123”, “123”; 123% matches “123Data”, “123”; A%BC matches “A123BC”, “ABCD”; A%B% matches “AB”, “A1B”, “A123B234”.
_ A single character Can be used anywhere in the string. h__t, sp____y h__t matches “heat”, “host”; sp____y matches “specify”, “spindly”, where underscores represent any single character.

Breakdown of Wild Cards

  • % (Percent Sign): This wildcard offers the most flexibility as it can be used anywhere in the search string. It allows for complex pattern matching and can be repeated multiple times within a single query.

  • * (Asterisk): This wildcard is useful for searching for substrings that may appear at the beginning or end of a string. You can use two asterisks, one at the start and one at the end, but you cannot place an asterisk between characters, which limits its flexibility compared to the other wildcards. If used within a search string, it will be interpreted literally.

    • The asterisk wildcard is only supported when searching on text fields.
    • All leading and trailing * characters are removed from the search term. *mysuffix is equivalent to **mysuffix. Similarly, *mystring* is the same as ***mystring**.

  • _ (Underscore): This wildcard is used to represent a single character. It can be placed anywhere in the string, allowing you to search for patterns where only one character is unknown.

Escape Characters

To search for a wildcard character literally, you can prefix it with a backslash (\). This backslash acts as an escape character, indicating that the following character should be treated as a literal character rather than a special or wildcard character.

Example:
Suppose you have a field that contains the value 4%400, and you want to search for this exact string. To do so, you would enter 4\%400 in your search query. In this case, the backslash escapes the percent sign (%), allowing you to search for it literally rather than interpreting it as a wildcard character.

Escape Character
Escape Character1480×708 50 KB

If you need to escape the backslash, you can use an additional backslash (\\ would search literally for \).

Quotes

Quotes (single or double) are used to define exact phrases in your search criteria. When you enclose text in quotes, the search engine treats the entire string as a single search term rather than separating it into individual words. This is particularly useful when searching for multi-word phrases.

Examples of Quote Usage:

  • "Clinton Lake" or 'Clinton Lake': Returns any string where “Clinton Lake” is the entire string.
  • "*Clinton Lake*" or '*Clinton Lake*': Returns any string that includes “Clinton Lake” anywhere in the string.

Examples of Wild Card Usage

  • *Clinton: Returns any string with “Clinton” at the end.
  • "Clinton*": Returns any string that begins with “Clinton”.
  • *Clinton*: Returns any string that includes “Clinton” anywhere in the string.
  • *Clinton Lake*: Returns any string that begins with “Lake” or ends with “Clinton”.

Notes

  • Numbers can be searched in both number and string fields.
  • If the search criteria is a 4-digit number between 1000 and 3000, and date fields are included, the search will include the year portion of those date fields.
  • For loan numbers formatted as a date plus a number (e.g., 2003-001), enter 2003* to find all results from 2003.

Simple Search Results

Simple Search Results
Simple Search Results1520×764 33.9 KB

Result Indicators

  • Results from the primary search tables are included under the “Primary Search” header.
  • Results from related tables are included under the “Secondary Search” header.

Viewing Results

View Simple Search Results
View Simple Search Results1462×802 63.7 KB

  • Clicking on the table name will expand the search to display all of the results for that particular table.

Selected Simple Search Results
Selected Simple Search Results1444×480 46.2 KB

  • The search results appear and function similar to results in the Query Builder, meaning that you can navigate to the records directly by clicking on the :linkout_: (link out) button next to each result.

  • Results can be converted into a :record_sets_: Record Set by selecting one or more items and clicking the Create Record Set button.

  • You can use the Browse In Forms button to view all returned records in a dialog. If you select one or more results, clicking this button will display your selected records in a dialog.

  • You can select multiple items in the results by first clicking on a single item and then holding the Shift key while clicking on the items above or below your selection.

Specify 6

Learn about Specify 6

Actions for Selected Records

Button Action
Create a Record Set Create a Record Set from selected records.
attachment Displays associated attachments as thumbnails in the Attachment Tool tab.
Open records Open selected records. Can open single, multiple, or all records.
Print results Print the results grid.
Export to Excel Export the grid to MS Excel.
Display report Display a report from the returned records (if available).
Add selected records to an existing Record Set by clicking the Record Set button.

Record Set Management

  • To add records to an existing Record Set, use the Record Set button at the bottom of the results window. Select a Record Set name and click OK or create a new Record Set.