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Find what you need

Search and filter an Uwazi collection, then find the exact passage inside an entity's document.

What you'll learn​

We'll search a whole collection, sharpen the search with operators, and narrow the results with filters. Then we'll open one entity and search inside it. By the end of this tutorial, we'll have found a specific entity and jumped to the matching page in its document.

Prerequisites​

  • A link to a live Uwazi instance that already holds some content
  • A username and password, if the instance is private

Part 1: Search the whole collection​

The Library is your home base. It lists every entity you can see. The search box at the top looks across the whole collection at once.

  1. Type a word in the Search box, such as detention.

    Nothing happens yet. The Library still shows every entity.

  2. Press Enter.

    The Library shrinks to entities that match. Each card shows a short snippet and marks your word inside it. The closest matches sort to the top.

  3. Find a card with several matches and select Show more.

    Show more appears only when a card has more matches than its snippet can show. Cards with a single match don't display it, so scan the results for one that does before you continue.

    The preview panel opens on the Search text tab. It groups the matches by field. Matches in the document sit under Document contents, with page numbers.

  4. Select the clear (×) button in the search box.

    The search clears, and the full collection returns.

Part 2: Sharpen the search with operators​

One word can return too many results. Operators help you match more entities or fewer, so you reach the right ones.

  1. Select Search Tips near the search box.

    A window opens, titled Narrow down your searches. It lists operators for wildcards, exact phrases, proximity, and word combinations. Select Accept to close it.

  2. Type detain* in the Search box and press Enter.

    The * stands for any ending. The results now include detain, detained, and detainee together.

  3. Type "arbitrary detention" with the quotation marks and press Enter.

    The quotation marks ask for that exact phrase. The results drop to entities where both words sit together in that order.

Part 3: Narrow the results with filters​

Filters trim the list without a search word. The filters panel sits beside the results, and the filters stack on each other.

  1. Look at the filters panel beside the results.

    Its title reads Filters configuration. The panel shows entity types at the top and property filters below them. Selecting a card swaps this panel for the preview panel, so close the preview to bring the filters back.

  2. Select an entity type, such as Case, under the types filter.

    The list narrows to that type. Each filter option shows a count of matching entities next to it.

  3. Select a value in a property filter, such as a country or a date range.

    The results narrow again. The counts on the other filters update to match what's left.

  4. Find a list filter with an AND / OR switch and set it to AND.

    The switch starts on OR, so the filter matches any value you pick. On AND, the results show only entities that carry every value.

  5. Copy the page address from your browser's address bar.

    The address holds your search and every filter. Send it to anyone with access, and they'll open the same results.

  6. Select Clear Filters at the bottom of the panel.

    Every filter resets, and the full collection returns.

Part 4: Search inside one entity​

A library search tells you which entities match. The entity's own Search tab tells you where inside them the words sit, and takes you to the page.

note

The Search tab appears only beside Document and Metadata. Switch the left pane to Relationships or Files and it goes away.

  1. Type detention in the Search box, press Enter, then select View on a card that has a document.

    The entity opens in two panes. The right pane opens on the Search tab, with detention already in the Search this document box and the matches already listed.

  2. Read the line above the results.

    It counts them, such as 4 matches for “detention”.

  3. Look at the two headings below that line.

    PROPERTIES holds matches in the entity's own fields. DOCUMENT holds matches in the text of its document. Each DOCUMENT row ends with a page label, such as p.4. A page carrying more than one match reads p.4 · 3×.

  4. Select a row under DOCUMENT.

    The left pane switches to Document, turns to that page, and marks the passage in the text.

  5. Select the same row again.

    The mark clears, and the document stays on that page.

  6. Select a row under PROPERTIES.

    The left pane switches to Metadata, and the matching field flashes so you can spot it.

  7. Type witness in the Search this document box.

    A moment after you stop typing, the results refresh. You don't need to press Enter.

  8. Type a word the entity doesn't hold, such as zebra.

    The panel reads No matches for “zebra” and offers a Clear search button. Select it to empty the box.

  9. Select tips at the foot of the panel.

    A small window opens, headed NARROW YOUR SEARCH. It lists five examples, such as "Costa Rica" and 198?. Select one, and it replaces whatever sits in the search box.

What you've done​

  • Searched a whole collection and read the matching snippets
  • Sharpened a search with a wildcard and an exact phrase
  • Narrowed the results with stacked filters
  • Shared a search through its web address
  • Searched inside one entity and jumped to the matching page
tip

Type a search word and set filters at the same time. The word and the filters work together, so you reach a small, precise result set fast.

Next steps​