Searching for Documents

Sometimes you need to locate a document from the Docbase and you do not know where it is. Or perhaps, you know the content of the document, but cannot remember what is it called, or where it is located.

Simple search

Simple searches can be performed by entering criteria in the box appearing in the top-left corner of the Documentum window and clicking the magnifying glass icon.

When you enter a search term (a document number or word or phrase) in the simple search box, the term is matched to documents that have the search term within the document itself or within the document's properties. This kind of search is called a “full-text” search.

Simple search

To search for an exact word or phrase, type quotation marks around the word or phrase.

For a simple search (including the Contains field in an advanced search), if you do not use quotation marks, Documentum displays results that contain both the exact words you typed as well as variations of the words, such as scanning for the word scanner.

To get results that contain two search terms, type AND between the terms. A term can be a word or quoted phrase.

To get results that contain at least one term, type OR between the words or the quoted phrases.

You can string together multiple terms with the AND and OR operators. The AND operator has precedence over the OR operator. For example, if you type:

knowledge or management and discovery

then your results must contain either knowledge or they must contain management, and discovery.

To get results that do not contain a term, type NOT before this term. The term can be a word or a quoted phrase. Only the term that follows the operator is taken into account.

The NOT operator can be used after the AND or OR operator, separated by a space.

Valid syntaxes would be: Documentum NOT adapter or Documentum AND NOT adapter, both queries will return results that contain Documentum but do not contain adapter.

To specify that certain terms must be processed together, use parentheses. When using parenthesis, you must type a space before, and after each parenthesis mark, as shown here: ( management or discovery).

As an example, if you type knowledge and management or discovery, then your results will contain both knowledge, and management or they will contain discovery. But if you type knowledge and (management or discovery), then your results will contain knowledge, and either management or discovery.

The operators AND , OR , and NOT are not case-sensitive. For example, for your convenience, you can type: AND, and, And.

 

Run an advanced search

To search for a document by one of its properties, use advanced search. An advanced search enables you to define more precisely your query on the properties of the document. For example, you can search the current version of the documents whose Responsible Person is John Smith, and modified between November 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

To run an advanced search:

1. On the Documentum main page, click the arrow next to the magnifying glass icon, and then click Advanced.

The drop-down lists on the Advanced Search screen provide various search criteria. Try to be as accurate as you can. There are many documents in the system and the more accurate your search criteria, the faster you will find the ones you are looking for.

For example: selecting the Properties drop-down list displays options for searching based on document properties such as Document Number, Title and all other available properties.

The Advanced Search screen in detail

1. Properties - select a property upon which to search in the first field and then select the operator in the second drop-down list to determine the relationship to the search value.

•  to search on additional property values, click Add another property then select either And or Or

•  And – will return search results that match this property value and the property value on the previous line

•  Or - will return search results that match either this property value or the property value on the previous line

•  repeat for as many property values as required

•  to remove a property from the search criteria, click Remove

•  the properties for all the CLA attributes are driven in 2 ways:

•  You can type in the codes that relate to the values and Documentum will replace the code at run time or during a screen update

•  You can type the first letters of the code description and Documentum will provide a drop down list of all the matching values

In the example shown here the letters “Ai” have returned just four possibilities for CLA System. It is important to understand that this is not a complete list of all systems but is a list of all the values that are currently used on documents within the specified folder within Documentum. This function is known as the Intelligent Query Builder and avoids the frustration of empty search results.

2. Find all versions - use to search for past versions as well as the current version of a file, if required

3. Edit - allows you to change the search location and also to search in multiple locations, becomes active when BAA is selected in Locations, alternatively you can select Current location only

4.   Estimated Results - once criteria has been identified, clicking update will show the number of results that will be returned.

5.   Object Type - To search for a normal document this must be set to “BAA Capital Projects Document”, to search for a transmittal select “BAA Transmittal”.

6.   Contains – the same field as the simple search box on the main Documentum window.

For example: find all documents where the Title contains Upgrade and the CLA System equals Airfield Services.

Click Search to run and the results will be displayed

The search results

The search results are displayed in the Results Pane , highlighting any visible search criteria text.

Just above the search results a number of functions are displayed to help the user manipulate the results, these are:

• n Results – the total number of results returned by the query. For long running queries this link can also indicate the status of the query
• Print View – displays the results in a window format that can be easily printed
• Restart – re-runs the search
• Edit Search – allows the user to go back to the original search criteria page and modify the parameters
• Save – saves the current search criteria for later access via the tab Saved Searches link
• Save Template – Saves the searched properties as a template to allow you to search again using the same properties but different values.

Saved Searches

To save the search results to Saved Searches: .

• In the Search Results , click Save
• Enter a name and description for the saved search and click OK
• If you would like others to be able to use your saved search check the Make Public box.

• To access the saved search, go to Saved Searches/Saved Searches

Right-click on the search name will offer;

•  Edit – change the search criteria

•  Run Search – retrieve the latest result for those criteria

•  View Saved Results – display the original search results

•  Properties – allows access to the search history

•  Delete – remove from Saved Searches

Search Templates

This procedure allows you to create your own Search screen which carries just those properties that you need to search by

1.  Create and run a search as described above

2   In the search results window, click Save Template

3.  Give your template a name and description

4.  Select the values you would like to be editable in your template by using the right-arrow to move them to the Input fields box

5.  Click Save

6.  The saved template will then be available in Saved Searches/Search Templates

7.  Right-click on the template name will give access to;

•  Edit Template – change the search criteria

•  Edit Definition – update the template definition

•  Run Search – open the template ready for input

•  Properties – allows access to the search history

•  Delete – remove from Saved Searches

8.  Run Search or double-click on the template name will open the template.

9.•  The specific criteria can then be entered into your preset search field and the search run.

Searching & Security

All Documentum users will be able to search and see document properties and attributes, but will only be able to view the content and Edit a document that they have been granted access to.

Output Search Results to CSV

To save or open the current list in CSV format (comma separated values):

1.  In the Search Results click Tools/Export to CSV