By Kim Hyde
One of the main virtues of data management is the ability to search all of the data in a way that is not possible using standard disk storage. Everybody seems to suffer from that panicky moment when they can’t find the file that the whole business needs urgently just because they can’t remember where they put it or even called it. Autodesk Vault has the ability to index design data so deeply that you are able to search on text that may be inside the file. This is the case for both Autodesk file formats and Microsoft file formats which means that users of Vault start to behave differently. They worry less about complex file names and start to create repeatable searches using a job number or customer name as the search term. When they need to find all the current related documents and design files they simply run the saved search, refining the filters if they need something specific.
Using the power of the Microsoft SQL database engine, the search tools in Autodesk Vault products produce extremely fast results in locating data stored in Vault; however, some of the combinations of `Boolean’ switches are sometimes not fully utilized by users.
I want to focus in this Blog on the Boolean switches `and’ and `or’ (note the switches are not case-sensitive). The following examples will also use the properties `Author’ and `Created by’, it is important to note that Vault records the property Author as the creator of the file, whereas Created by represents the user who has checked-in the file / file-version to Vault.
Example-1
This first example shows a simple search for `Chris or Demir’, this is a broad search showing a total of 853 objects where any property containing the values of Chris or Demir.
Example-2
This second example shows a simple search for `Chris and Demir’, this is a more specific search showing a reduced total of only 44 objects where files the values of both Chris and Demir.
Searching of users contained within a Group
When looking at the subject of saving searches for either simple or advanced content, the switch `or’ can be used to list an accumulated set of users within a defined Vault Group (note that currently data cannot be searched by a Group as an entity).
Example-3
The third example shows a saved search set (together with the results) where the property `Author’ contains `Chris or Demir or Kim’. The search is subsequently saved with a name that represents a small design group; a total of 709 objects are found that represents data that was created by the users defined within the Group.
Example-4
The last example shows a saved search set (together with the results) where the property `Created by’ contains `Chris or Demir or Kim’ and in addition a second criteria of `Date Version Created’ has the condition of `on or before’ where the value is set to 11/11/2016. The search is subsequently saved with a name that represents the Group’s activity based on a prior date; a total of 2,040 objects are found that represents data for versions that was modified by the users defined within the Group by date.
Please refer to the following Autodesk link which provides the details for search entries, together with another Cadline Community link for my previous Blog regarding controlling Vault search `Slop Factor’.
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