Windchill Search
Windchill provides powerful search tools that allow you to locate and retrieve product information of all types.
Your ability to search for and retrieve information depends on access control policies implemented at your company. An object can exist in the Windchill database but not appear in your search results because of these policies.
For more information about your access privileges, contact your Windchill administrator.
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If a search result is not appearing, the most common reason is that you do not have access to that object. To gain access, contact the context manager (the manager of the product, project, or library where the object is located). If you do not have access to the context, contact a Windchill administrator.
For other common reasons why an object is not appearing, see Unexpected Results.
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Accessing Search
A global search is a keyword search performed against all contexts to which you have access. The global search field is located in the upper right of the Windchill browser page:
| | • If you have Windchill Index Search enabled, global searches are performed against all object attribute values and the content of document files that have been uploaded to Windchill. • If you are performing a non-indexed search, then global searches are performed against the Name and Number attributes. |
An advanced search allows you to perform detailed search queries for certain object types, within specific contexts, and for specific attribute value criteria. To access the advanced search, open the Navigator and select the Search tab. Click Advanced Search at the top of the tab. You can also select Advanced Search from the global search drop-down menu:
You can initiate a Windchill search from the Folders table or the Network table.
The Windchill search engine is used when searching for information while performing Windchill actions. (For example, when searching for users in the Find Participant window.) Therefore, the information outlined in the following topics is also applicable to all action-based searches.
Keyword Search Types
Two search types are blended together and made available from anywhere in the user interface. The difference between these two search types is primarily relevant when performing a keyword search.
A keyword search is a search performed using global search or by entering a value into the Keyword field on the Advanced Search page.
Index Search | Keyword searches are performed against an index of keyword data. The search index includes keyword data taken from all object attribute values and the content of document files that have been uploaded to Windchill.
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Database Search | Database searches are traditional attribute-based searches that allow you to select object types and enter attribute values in search criteria fields. • If you have Windchill Index Search enabled, then database searches are only performed when using the fields under Criteria on the Advanced Search page. • If you are not using Windchill Index Search, then every search is a database search. When you perform a keyword search, you are performing a database search against the Name and Number attributes. |
| | For more information on the difference between database searches and indexed searches, see Keyword Search Rules. |