Searching

Introduction to searching

Huge Base uses a toggle system to carry out its searching. As you know, each record in a database can either be selected or not selected. You can tell by the "SEL" light at the bottom right of the uge Base screen. Huge Base either selects or deselects a records during a search depending on the criteria which is used. There are 50 different search criteria records available. Remember that these 50 records do not make up the database records. They are used for searching only and are not saved along with any database files.

Criteria

Criteria are the strings of text in which data in your database will match or will not match. There are various commands you can use when entering your search criteria.

= Equal to

> Greater than

< Less than

! Not equal to (different)

^ Contains

The symbols are used at the start of your string. Here are some

Typical Examples.

=MATTHEW (equals MATTHEW)

^HEW (contains HEW)

>12.3 (greater than 12.3)

<12-Feb-96 (less than 12-Feb-96)

!STOKE-ON-TRENT (different than STOKE-ON-TRENT)

 Searching in your database

To switch to SEARCH mode, select the SEARCH button and then select EDIT CRITERIA. This will change the interface at the bottom of the screen to a totally different format. This will take you into what is called "SEARCH MODE". Here are all of the buttons that you will see and their explanations.

Buttons in search mode

These buttons are only available in search mode. To switch to search mode, click on EDIT CRITERIA in the SEARCH menu as explained above.

Toggle button - Displays either "EXCLUDE" or "INCLUDE"

Click on this to toggle between INCLUDE and EXCLUDE. If this is set to INCLUDE, the current search criteria record will SELECT all records that match its criteria. Making this button EXCLUDE will DESELECT all records that match its criteria. All of the 50 search criteria records can be set to either INCLUDE or EXCLUDE as they can be set independently of each other.

"Search" Button

This carries out the search using all 50 of the search criteria records. Any records with no data in them are ignored. If some records are selected before the search is started, they are all deselected automatically. All of the search criteria records with INCLUDE as the toggle setting are carried out FIRST, then the EXCLUDE records are processed.

"First" Button

This takes you to the first search criteria record which is number 1.

"Last" Button

This takes you to the last search criteria record which is number 50.

"Next" Button

This displays the next search criteria record.

"Previous" Button

This skips back a search criteria record.

"Clear" Button

This clears the current search criteria record.

"Clear All" Button

This clears all 50 of the search criteria reecords from memory so you can start all over again.

"Exit" Button

This exits search mode and returns you to normal VIEW mode. All of the normal buttons will appear again.

Examples of searching in Huge Base

This example assumes you have a database of peoples names and in which is uses normal field names. This is only an example, do not try to follow it for real in your own database.

1. Select SEARCH.
2. Select EDIT CRITERIA. This will take you into SEARCH MODE. The first search criteria records will appear.
3. Click into the SURNAME field and type =SMITH Click into the FORENAME field.
4. Type ^M
5. Make sure the toggle button says INCLUDE. If not, click on it ONCE.
6. Click on NEXT to get to record number 2.
7. Click into the DATE OF BIRTH field.
8. Type ^FEB Make sure the toggle button says EXCLUDE. If not, click on it ONCE.
9. Click on SEARCH. This will carry out the search you have just typed.

The following will be true about all of the selected records.

"SMITH" is in the SURNAME field.

"M" is contained somewhere in the FORENAME field.

"FEB" is NOT in the DATE OF BIRTH field.

Here are the steps that the search took to get these results.

1. All of the records that had SMITH in the SURNAME field and had an occurrence of "M" in the FORENAME field were selected. These records were selected because INCLUDE was set in the toggle button in search criteria record number 1.

2. Then all of the records that had "FEB" in the DATE OF BIRTH field were deselected. This was done because EXCLUDE was set in search criteria record number 2. Search criteria will stay in memory until any of the following functions are carried out :-

• The database is cleared
• Another database is loaded
• A field is deleted
• A field TYPE is modified
• Another field is added
• You use the CLEAR ALL button in SEARCH mode

If any of the above happens, all 50 search criteria records will be lost.

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