Search and Replace Form

Use the Search and Replace form to create a new Search and Replace update run, use an existing Search and Replace update run, or view the history of Search and Replace runs.

Location

To display the form, complete the following step:

From the Vision Navigation menu, click Utilities > Advanced Utilities > Search and Replace.

Contents

Toolbar

Field Description
New Click this button to create a new Search and Replace update run.
Run Click this button to run a new or existing run.
View History Click this button to view previous runs for all Info Centers.
Help Click this button to display online help for Search and Replace.

Search and Replace Options

Field Description
Description If you are creating a new update run, enter a description of the run, for example "Inactive Projects." This description is for archiving purposes. If you select an existing update run, this field displays the description of the run.
Application Area If you are creating a new update run, select Billing Terms, Project Planning, or an Info Center from the drop-down list. Your Security access rights determine the Info Centers that you can update. If you select an existing update run, this field displays the application in which the update run happened.
Select Records If you are creating a new update run, click to search for and select the records you want to change. If you select an existing update run, this field displays the records that were selected.
WBS Level to Update If you select Projects or Billing Terms in the Application Area field, this field displays. Use it to specify the WBS (work breakdown structure) level at which the search and replace update happens.

  • Top Level — Select this option if you want the search and replace update to happen at the top level that your company has set up. The update does not include any lower levels, such as phase or task.

  • All Levels — Select this option if you want the search and replace update to happen at all WBS levels, such as project, phase, and task.

  • Lowest — Select this option if you want the search and replace update to happen at the lowest WBS level only. If you select this option, Vision updates the lowest level available.

    For example, a project has two phases and only one of the phases has tasks:
    • Phase 1 has Task A and Task B
    • Phase 2 has no tasks

    Vision completes the search and replace update process for Task A and Task B, because they are the lowest level of Phase 1, and for Phase 2, because it has no tasks and thus is the lowest level for that branch of the WBS.

Column to Update If you are creating a new update run, select the column (field) name that you want to update. The drop-down list offers the majority of columns for the selected application, including user-defined fields. If you selected an existing update run, this field displays the column name that was updated.
Update Method If you are creating a new update run, select the type of update method:

  • Value — Select this option if you want to use a value to update the column you selected in the Column to Update field. If the column is associated with a code table, those entries display in a drop-down list in the field to the right of this field. For example, if you want to change the status for selected employees, select Value. Then, from the drop-down list for the field that displays to the right of the Update Method field, select a new status.

  • From Another Column — Select this option if you want to use another column (field) to update the column you selected in the Column to Update field. The drop-down list for the field to the right of the Update Method field lists the columns for the selected application. From the drop-down list, select the column you want to use for the update. Vision checks that the value you enter is compatible with the data type that you are replacing.

  • SQL Expression — Select this option if you want to use an SQL expression to update the column you selected in the Column to Update field. Enter the expression in the field to the right of the Update Method field. Vision checks that the expression you enter is valid.

If you selected an existing update run, this field displays the update method for the run.

Update History Grid

Field Description
Update History Grid Drop-Down Click the drop-down arrow on a grid header to complete any of the following actions:
  • To print grid data, click Print. When the Print Preview form displays, click File > Print to send the grid data to your default printer.
  • To export grid data to an Excel spreadsheet, click Export to Excel. When Microsoft Excel opens, use its features to modify, print, or email the data, or to save the spreadsheet file locally.
  • To turn on grouping for a grid, click Enable Grouping. When a field displays with the instruction: "Drag a column header here to group by that column," drag and drop column headers into this field, in the sequence that you want them to display.

Not all options are available on all grids.

Run Date This field displays the date of the run. Click on this heading to display runs by date.
Username This field displays the username of the person who initiated the run. Click on this heading to display runs by username.