Fundamentals > Fundamentals > Family Tables > Searching in a Family Table > About Using Expressions When Searching a Family Table
About Using Expressions When Searching a Family Table
An expression is a method by which classes of parameters can be specified in a search. By defining an expression involving a string, yes/no variable, or number variable, groupings of parameters can be found with a single preparation of the search tool.
The basic form for an expression is as follows:
<parameter> ==, !=, <, > <variable>
where parameter is the name of the parameter, ==, !=, <, and > are individual operations, and variable is the name of the search variable.
Sample Expressions
A model and Family Table can contain any parameter(s) you want it to contain. For example, assume a model with the following model parameters:
Parameter
Possible Sample Parameter Values
name
'bolt' or 'washer'
generic
'yes' or 'no'
level
a number between 1 and 9
You can use these sample parameters and values in search expressions in the Search dialog box, when searching in the Model Tree or in a Family Table.