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Can I Search based on 'Contains' info?

Question asked by Brian Dalton on Jan 26, 2012
Latest reply on Mar 18, 2014 by Brian Dalton

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I would like to be able to use the Search tool to create a file list of every document that is referenced by a selected document. This would be the same list as shows up in the Contains tab, but as a search result it would be a fully functional file list, like in Windows explorer file pane. The Contains tab itself lacks many of the capabilities I need, so it is not sufficient by itself.

Running a search for documents referenced by the selected document would be perfect, but I don't see a way to do it...

Wayne Matus Feb 7, 2012 5:29 PM

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Brian, sorry for taking so long to respond. You would not be able to do that using Reporting Services. The best you can do with that would get you the same functionality as an email notification. Open, View, Get Latest, Properties, History, and Browse to.

EPDM 2012 has one improvement in the Contains list of files. It has two Browse To commands. The "Browse To in New Window" is like the old Browse To command. The new Browse To switches Windows Explorer to the file selected in the Contains list.

The only way I see of doing what you want would be a custom app.

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Brian Dalton Jan 27, 2012 6:15 PM
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So it would seem that the answer is no?
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- Scott McFadden @ Brian Dalton on Jan 28, 2012 7:55 AM
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  Brian,
  I know in PDM workgroup there is an advanced search that might do this, but you are running Enterprise to which
  I have very limited experience with. Since the EPDM is a more powerful tool I can't believe that ot wouldn't do this.
  Have you looked in the help file to see the seach functionality of EPDM?
  
  Using the Search tools within EPDM
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Wayne Matus Jan 28, 2012 10:21 AM
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You might be able to do something using MS SQL Server Reporting Services. It depends on what " fully functional file list" means to you.
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- Brian Dalton @ Wayne Matus on Jan 30, 2012 10:58 AM
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  'Fully functional' refers to the actions that are available to files in the list. For the main file list (upper pane) in the Explorer window, I can select a file and perform the following actions:
  
  Check Out
  Check In
  Undo Check Out
  Get Latest Version
  Get Version
  Change State
  View History
  Read Version Comments
  
  For a list of files in the Contains tab, none of these functions are available. I would like to be able to see a list of files that are attached to a particular file (contained by that file) then be able to perform the above functions on those files - individually or sometimes in groups.
  
  If the Contains list could be magically transported out of the Contains tab to the main Explorer window, it would have all the functionality I'm hoping for. This would be possible in a Search window if I could perform a Search based on references. If I could say "Give me all the files that are referenced by this other file", I would be golden, but it doesn't seem to be able to use references as search criteria. Specifying how many levels of references to honor in the search would be icing on the cake, too.
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  - Wayne Matus @ Brian Dalton on Feb 7, 2012 5:29 PM
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    Brian, sorry for taking so long to respond. You would not be able to do that using Reporting Services. The best you can do with that would get you the same functionality as an email notification. Open, View, Get Latest, Properties, History, and Browse to.
    
    EPDM 2012 has one improvement in the Contains list of files. It has two Browse To commands. The "Browse To in New Window" is like the old Browse To command. The new Browse To switches Windows Explorer to the file selected in the Contains list.
    
    The only way I see of doing what you want would be a custom app.
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    - Brian Dalton @ Wayne Matus on Feb 8, 2012 10:29 AM
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      Thanks, Wayne. I suspected that was so.
      
      I've begun working on a different tack. In this case, the file which contains references to other files is created by my users through PDM, and it occurred to me that if the referenced files had a variable that could be populated with the filename of the referencing file, I could easily search for the 'contents' of the referencing file by using the value of that variable. The results would show in a fully functional file list in the upper explorer pane.
      
      Making it convenient will be the challenge, though...
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      - Brian McEwen @ Brian Dalton on Mar 18, 2014 1:47 PM
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        Did you have any luck with this Dalton? It if funny how I keep coming up with problems that you had 2 years earlier. It it totally lame that we can't do anything useful from the Contains or Where Used tabs. EPDM even throws in an extra tease - there is a handy Select Files tool - so you can pick all .slddrw or whatever in the Contains tab - and then.. you can't do anything to them! Plus I've watched everyone try to do the usual PDM actions from the Contains tab.
        
        !Vote for SPR 529760 "All Enterprise functions on right-click in Where Used and Contains tabs" !
        
        In addition to your list above, another thing I'd like to do is run a Dispatch action on a group of child files (children are pasted to an Excel EC parent item).
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        Brian Dalton @ Brian McEwen on Mar 18, 2014 1:52 PM
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        No need to be so formal... you can just call me Brian
        
        I used the method I outlined above, ie creating a variable to track the relationships rather than using references. I've abandoned references entirely for this application since EPDM treats them all as if they were assembly/components references a la SolidWorks. I create my own 'references', set and track them through custom API code and search based on them through custom searches. A bit of work, but it's quite functional once you get it running.
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Can I Search based on 'Contains' info?

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