Navigating and Searching Your Database
Moving Through the Documents In Your Database
There are several ways to move through the Documents in your database:
· using the Function Keys
ALT+PgDn to move to the next Document
ALT+PgUp to move to the previous Document
ALT+Home to move to the first Document
ALT+End to move to the last Document
· using the Video Buttons -
Use these buttons to take you to the first, previous, next, and last documents in your file.
Searching From the Search Line
The quickest, most convenient way to search is from the Search Line. The Search Line is the line above the ruler beginning with the Search button. The Search Line gives you a direct way to quickly access your information. For example, to find applicants with programming experience:
1. Press ESC (or click the mouse in the Search Line - the line above the Ruler)
2. Type: programming and then press the ENTER Key.
The Search Results Windows
After a search is executed, the Search Results Window will appear. The Search Results Window appears at the bottom of the screen and displays a list of the Documents retrieved by your search. Clicking on a document in the Search Results Window displays that document in the top Window of the screen.
From the Search Results Window you can:
· Scroll through Documents retrieved by your search.
· Edit retrieved Documents.
· Delete Documents retrieved by your search (by pressing the DEL key).
· See the number of retrieved Documents.
· See the number of hits in each Document.
· See the context of the hits.
· Jump from hit to hit in the Documents.
· Customize the field or fields listed in the Search Results.
NOTES:
1. The Search Results Window remains open at the bottom of your screen until you close it. You can close the Search Results Window by choosing VIEW -> SEARCH RESULTS or by clicking on the Close icon in the Search Results Toolbar.
2. Pressing the ESC key will rotate you between the Search Results Window, the Search Line, and the window containing the retrieved Document. You can move directly to a specific part of the screen with the following keys:
· CTRL+Q moves you to the Search Line.
· CTRL+SHIFT+Q moves you to the Search Results Window.
· CTRL+W moves you to the Work Space (into the Document).
You can customize the Search Results Window to display specific fields as well as the hit context, number of hits, or other document information. These customized views can be saved and easily accessed from a drop down menu in the Search Results Toolbar.
To Customize the Search Results Window:
1. Choose VIEW -> SEARCH RESULTS PROPERTIES or click on the
 icon in the Search Results Toolbar.
The Search Results Properties Dialog Box will appear.
2. Create a new View or select the View you want to modify.
3. Choose the Columns button.
The Define Columns Dialog Box will appear.
In the list of “Available Fields”, you'll find the items you can display in the Search Results Window:
FIELD DISPLAYS
Hits in Document The number of hits that occur in the retrieved Document.
First Line First line of the retrieved Document.
Hit Context Sentence containing the hit.
Document Name Name of the Document (if a Document Name has been entered in the Document Properties).
Document Author Name of the author (if an author has been entered in the Document Properties).
Document Keywords Keywords for the Document (if keywords have been entered in the Document Properties).
Field Name Lets you enter a name of any field. This is useful if a field name is not in an Entry Form.
List of Field Names Field Names from all Entry Forms are listed. The contents of the fields you select will be displayed in the Search Results window.
4. Add the fields you want displayed in the Search Results Window and choose OK.
5. Choose the Sort button if you want the items listed in the Search Results Window to display in sorted order.
6. Choose the Close button to exit the Search Results Properties dialog box.
NOTES:
1. You can create multiple Search Results Views. The drop down menu in the Search Results Toolbar lets you switch between these views.
2. The Search Results Properties Dialog Box lets you create, rename, edit, and delete Search Results Views.
3. You can modify the width of the columns in your Search Results by clicking and dragging the column headers. To do this, place your cursor on the vertical line separating the columns, press and hold the left mouse button, and move your mouse. The column will get wider or narrower (depending on the direction you move the mouse).
4. You can modify the order of the columns displayed in the Search Results Window by dragging and dropping the columns.
Wildcard Searches
askSam allows you to use the wildcard symbols * and ? in searches.
· The * character represents multiple characters (up to eighty).
· The ? character takes the place of a single character.
Examples:
Entering Program* will find: program, programs, programming, and programmed.
Entering Program? will find: programs - but not program, programming, or programmed.
Case Sensitive Searches
Normally, when askSam searches for a word, the letter case (upper/lower case) is irrelevant. For example, a search for WHO finds "Who", "who" and "WHO".
To Turn on Case Sensitive Searching in a File:
1. Choose FILE -> PROPERTIES.
The File Properties Dialog Box will appear.
2. Turn on the “Case Sensitive Search” option.
3. Choose OK.
All searches in this file will be case sensitive until this option is turned off.
To Turn on Case Sensitive Searching in the Search Line:
1. Click on the Case Sensitive button
 in the Search Toolbar.
Searches entered in the Search Line are case sensitive until you click the Case Sensitive button a second time, or until you close and reopen the file.
Fuzzy Searches
Fuzzy Searching helps you locate information when you're not sure of the spelling, for example, if you were looking for Documents containing the name "Kathy". You could use askSam's fuzzy search and find Documents with "Kathy", "Kathi", or "Cathy".
1. Click on the Fuzzy Search button
 in the Search Toolbar.
Searches entered in the Search Line are fuzzy until you click the Fuzzy button a second time, or until you close and reopen the file.
1. Choose ACTIONS
2. Select the type of search you wish to execute.
3. Enter your search.
4. Select the Fuzzy option in the dialog.
5. Choose OK.
askSam will retrieve the first document containing the words or a fuzzy equivalent of the words you entered.
NOTES:
1. The Numeric and Date searches in the Actions menu do not offer Fuzzy Search capabilities.
2. The Fuzzy Search overlooks a single error in a word. An error can be a missing letter, an extra letter, an incorrect letter, or a transposition (two neighboring letters in reverse order).
Phrase Searches
To search for a phrase from the Search Line, the phrase must be enclosed in square brackets [ ]. Entering multiple words that are not enclosed in square brackets results in a search for documents containing all the requested words, but the words do not have to appear together as a phrase.
For example:
REQUEST FINDS
visual basic Any document containing the word "visual" and the word "basic". This means that a Document containing the sentence, "Basic knowledge visual programming techniques" would be selected.
[visual basic] Finds only Documents where the actual phrase "visual basic" appears.
NOTE: Phrases must only be enclosed in brackets when they are entered in the Search Line. When using the search commands in the Actions Menu, make sure you do NOT use brackets.
Using Commands in the Search Line
You can also enter Boolean searches from the askSam Search Line. Boolean searches let you combine search terms with the operators AND, OR, and NOT.
Command Action
and Selects Documents which meet two or more search criteria.
programming and [object oriented]
or Defines multiple criteria for selecting Documents.
Master or MS
not Selects Documents which do not meet the criteria immediately following the Boolean Operator NOT.
Unix not Novell
Searching From the ACTIONS Menu
A wide variety of searches can be performed from the ACTIONS Menu. Choose the ACTIONS Menu and then OTHER SEARCHES and select one of the following commands:
Search Action
Boolean use the Boolean Operators AND, OR, NOT to combine elements in your search.
Field search for a word or phrase in a specific field.
Numeric select Documents based on a numeric comparison.
Proximity search for two words occurring within a specified proximity of one another (for example "Internet" and "database" in the same sentence).
Date retrieve documents based on a date or date comparison.
To combine any of askSam's search function into a single request choose ACTIONS -> SEARCH.
NOTE: For further explanation of searching in your askSam files, see Chapter 8 of the askSam User's Guide
Storing a Search Request
Stored Searches let you save frequently used search requests and reuse them. You can use a Stored Search in places where it is necessary to select Documents for an operation:
· printing selected Documents
· exporting selected Documents
· deleting selected Documents
· selecting Documents for reports
1. Choose ACTIONS -> STORED SEARCHES.
The Stored Search Dialog Box will appear.
The Stored Search Dialog Box lets you create new stored searches, execute an existing search, edit searches, copy and rename searches, or delete searches.
2. Enter a name for the search.
3. Choose the CREATE button.
The Search Dialog will appear. The last search you executed is in the Search List.
If you wish to store this search, choose OK. Otherwise, choose the CLEAR ALL button, and enter a new search.
4. Choose OK once your search is created.
The search you created is listed in the Stored Search Dialog. You can choose RUN to execute the search.
BUTTON ACTION
RUN Executes the selected search.
CREATE Enter a new name and choose this button to create a new stored search.
EDIT Edits the selected search.
COPY Copies the selected search.
RENAME Renames the selected search.
DELETE Deletes the selected search.
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