Searching Previewed Reports (Desktop)

When you display a report on the Preview window, you can search for specific data in the report using either a simple search or an advanced search.

Simple Search

Use the Find field on the Preview window toolbar to search a previewed report for a specific string of characters. This simple search feature has the following characteristics:

• It does not differentiate between upper case and lower case letters.
• You cannot use wildcard characters or Boolean search operators. It only finds exact matches for your search text.
• The search begins on the page of the report that is currently displayed.
• The search only finds the target text if it is visible when you do the search. It does not find data that is hidden in collapsed groups.
• This option is not available when you view a report in print layout mode.

Advanced Search

In addition to the simple search, DPS includes the ability to search reports displayed on the Preview window based on the fields and search values that you specify. You can then view the search results on the screen, print them, or export them to Microsoft Excel.

The advanced search feature is not available if you use SQL Server Express or SQL Server Workgroup.

Advanced Search Notes and Tips

Keep the following guidelines in mind as you use the advanced search feature:

• DPS generates the list of search fields based on the structure of the report as you generate it. That structure is often based on a combination of your sorting and grouping criteria, other report options that you select, and groups that are built into the report. Use the information in both the Level column and the Name column to locate the fields that you want.

  For example, if you want to search the Project Summary report and include current hours from detail rows in the search results, select the grid row that contains Detail in Level and Current Hours in Name. If instead you want to see total current hours for projects, select the grid row that contains Group Project Number in Level and Current Hours in Name.

  DPS attempts to provide meaningful names for the levels and fields, but in some cases, it must use generic names. If you cannot tell from the level and field name which search field to select, pick the most likely candidate and do a trial search.

• The search results columns display from left to right in the same order that the fields display in the grid on the Search Criteria tab. To change that order before you launch the search, use the Move to Top, Move Up, and Move Down options on the grid menu to move the search fields. To change the order of column on the Results tab after the search is completed, drag the columns to new locations.
• You cannot use the search output as links to jump to the corresponding location in the report.