Performing a Drilldown Search 

Prerequisites

To be able to perform a drilldown search, the current table must be a table with lookup fields (usually the main table).

Drilldown searches use the search tabs in the Search Parameters pane on the left side of the Records modemain window. Each lookup field has its own search tab for drilldown search; that is, each search tab corresponds to a field in the table that is a lookup into a subtable. For example, a Manufacturer tab corresponds to the field of the same name that is a lookup into the Manufacturers table; similarly the Categorytab corresponds to the Category field that is a lookup into the Categoriestable.

To navigate up and down the Search Parameter tabs using the keyboard, press Ctrl + Tab or Shift + Ctrl + Tab.

Procedure

To initialize (“reset”) the search criteria:

If you have not already cleared a previous search, you need to reset the search to clear the search selections and start with all of the records in the selected table. Click the Reset Search toolbar button, choose Search ® Reset Search, or press Shift + Ctrl + Delete.

To perform a drilldown search:

       1.      Select the first search tab you want to use. MDM displays a list or hierarchy containing the set of valid values for the selected field. The set of values includes [ALL] as its first choice (“Match records that contain any of the existing values for the field”), and may also include [NULL] as its second choice (“Match records where no value has been entered for the field”).

To see all of the currently active search criteria at any time, click on the Search Selections tab next to the Record Detail tab.

       2.      Select the value or values you want to match.

To find records that are missing a value for the selected field or attribute, choose [NULL] from the list of values.

As you select each value, MDM immediately narrows down the records displayed in the Recordspane and updates the number of matching records found displayed on the status bar.

As you select each value, MDM also narrows down the values displayed in every list or hierarchy in every other search tab (with the exception of the Named Searches tab, which is not limited and whose selections can lead you down a dead-end path of zero results).

Nested lookup field names in the Lookups subpane, attribute names in the Attributes subpane, and qualifier names in the Qualifiers subpane, that have values selected for them are highlighted in bold (for more information about display options, see Configuration Options).

Multiple selections within a search dimension expand the search results. Each of the search selections are ORed together so that a record matches if it matches any of the values you select. However, if a field or attribute is multi-valued, you can change it so that the multiple search selections are instead ANDed together (for more information, see OR Searches, AND Searches, and Multi-Valued Fields).

[NULL]searches make it easy to detect missing master data, when records that should not have NULL values show up in the search results.

       3.      Select other Search Parameter tabs and values as desired to further narrow the record set, until the Records list contains exactly the records you want to view or edit.

Selections across multiple search dimensions narrow the search results. Each of the dimensions are ANDed together so that a record matches if it matches selections in all of the search dimensions (for more information, see OR Searches, AND Searches, and Multi-Valued Fields).

To remove a constraint and widen the search:

Select the applicable Search Parameter tab for the field or attribute and select the [ALL] choice.

You can also right-click on a search tab and choose from the context menu to reset some or all of the selections for that search tab.