The Type parameter in advanced search

The selections that appear when you construct your search criteria differ according to your choice of value in the Type parameter/column.

You can specify one of four values for Type:
  • Attributes: Search for XML elements having specific attribute values.
  • Elements: Search within a specific XML element.
  • Dates: Search for documents created or modified on fixed or relative dates.
  • Index: Search according to indexed criteria.

The following sections explain some of the Names and Values that may be used with each Type.

Attributes

Use this to search for XML elements having specific attribute values.

For example, to search for image files where the alt attribute contains words that begin with the string "map", use the following values:

  • Type = attribute
  • Name = alt
  • Value = map*

This search would include results where the alt attribute was "topics and maps" or "mapping data". The asterisk character is a wildcard that replaces one or more characters.

Elements

Use this to search within a specific XML element. Select the element Name and then enter the Value of the expression you are looking for.

For example, to search for files where the string "Publish" is part of any title, select the following values:

  • Type = elements
  • Name = title
  • Value = Publish*

This would find topics having sections titled "Publishing Output" and tables with the title "Published books". The asterisk character is a wildcard that replaces one or more characters.

Dates

Use this to search for documents created or modified on a particular date. Select the event type and then enter the date as a value.

For example, to search for files cloned on July 25, select the following values:

  • Type = date
  • Name = cloned date
  • Value = 2019-07-25

Index

Use this to search according to other indexed criteria.

Indexes available for selection are:

Value for Name Column Description Example
ID

Lets you search for the map, topic, or image ID.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = ID
  • Value = mal1159463936986

The search returns a list of all the files that contain the ID "mal1159463936986". You could use this to look for all the places that a specific document is referenced.

title

Lets you search for files using the topic title as it appears in the Search Results view.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = title
  • Value = *map*

The results list would include all files with the string "map" somewhere in the title, such as a topic title like "set map variables", an image called "DITA topics and maps", and a map called "test_map".

image description

Lets you search for any of the information contained in the image description.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = image description
  • Value = status

This search returns all the images whose descriptions contain the word "status".

type

Lets you search by topic type.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = topic type
  • Value = task

This search returns all topics of the type task. You could combine this with the string "image*" if you wanted to narrow your search to all tasks that contained words starting with "image".

status

Lets you search for all files having the specified status.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = status
  • Value = Localization:in translation

This search returns all files with the status Localization:in translation.

state

Lets you search for all files in the specified state.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = state
  • Value = done

This search returns all topics in the Authoring cycle whose state is done.

version

Lets you search the Published or Localization cycles for all files having the specified version.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = version
  • Value = *alpha*

This search returns all files that contain a word that begins with the string "alpha" in their version field. This would include versions such as "alpha1" or "alpha_1_b" or " Ixiasoft alpha".

locale

Lets you search the Localization cycle for all files of the specified locale.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = locale
  • Value = dan

This search returns all the files that are being localized in Danish.

created by

Lets you search for all files created by the specified user.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = created by
  • Value = SmithJ@ixiasoft.com

The search returns all files created by a user called SmithJ@ixiasoft.com

modified by

Lets you search for all files modified by the specified user.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = modified by
  • Value = SmithJ@ixiasoft.com

The search returns all files last modified by a user called SmithJ@ixiasoft.com.

label

Lets you search for all files that have a particular label.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = label
  • Value = obsolete*

This search would return all files with labels such as "obsoleted in 2009" and "provisionally obsolete".

contains elements

Lets you search for all files that contain the selected element.

When you search using the following values:

  • Name = contains elements
  • Value = image

This search would return all the files that contained at least one image.