NorthStar Search Operators

NorthStar Search Operators

Document number: 18134

This document describes NorthStar search operators and query syntax. For information on creating and saving a query, see Eureka! document 15070 — How to create and use queries in NorthStar client.

You can produce more precise query results in less time by using search operators to refine your query criteria. To use search operators, select the desired search operator from the drop-down list and enter your criteria in the associated text field.

Here are some commonly used search operators along with descriptions and examples.

Search Operators	Details	Example
=	Finds records matching the exact entry for the field(s) being searched.	Select "=" from the drop-down list and type " Smith" in the Last Name field to bring up all records that have a last name of Smith.
<>	Finds records that do not match the search criterion associated with the operator.	Select " <>" from the drop-down list and type " Smith" in the Last Name field to bring up every record in the system except those with a last name of Smith.
<	Finds records with values less than, dates before, or text before (in alphabetical order) the search criterion.	Select " <" from the drop-down list and type " 9/20/99" in the Start Date to bring up every record started before 9/20/99.
>	Finds records with values greater than, dates after, or text following (in alphabetical order) the search criterion.	Select " >" from the drop-down list and type " 9/20/00" in the End Date field to bring up every record that ended after 9/20/00.
in	Finds records with any of the values, dates, or text items specified.	Select "in" from the drop-down list and type " Smith, Wilson, Taylor" in the Last Name field to find all records that have a last name of Smith, Wilson, or Taylor.
^ in	Finds records that do not contain any of the values, dates, or Text items specified.	Select " ^" from the drop-down list and type " Smith, Wilson, Taylor" in the Last Name field to find all records except those that have a last name of Smith, Wilson, or Taylor.
btwn	Finds records that match either of the values specified or any value in between.	Select " btwn" from the drop-down list and type " 02/05/99, 09/20/99" in the Date Entered field to find all records entered on the dates listed or between the range of the dates listed.
like	Finds records that contain the characters entered. Use wildcards with like to search for names, words, or numbers that are similar, but not exactly the same as specified. "%" is the default wildcard in NorthStar. NorthStar automatically appends the % wildcard at the end of the search criteria when the operator is like. To prevent appending the %, put quotes around the expression.	Select " like" from the drop-down list and type " Master" in the Last Name field to bring up any record with a last name that starts with Master, e.g., Masterson, Mastrcraft. To find things that end with a string of characters, the wild card must be entered. For example, select " like" from the drop-down list and type " %ill" in the First Name field to bring up all records with a first name of Bill, Jill, Jillian, William, etc.
pat	Finds records that contain the characters or numbers entered and any other characters preceding or following the search string. Several patterns may be searched for at once by separating them with commas.	Select " pat" from the drop-down list and type " ns" in the Last Name field to bring up any record with a last name of Johnson, Hansen, etc.
sndx	Finds records that contain words that sound like the text you enter.	Select " sndx" from the drop-down list and type " Smith" in the Last Name field to find any record with a last name that sounds like Smith, e.g., Smythe.

The default wildcard character is %. To change the default wildcard character, select the File menu, then S et Options, then the Other tab. Change the wildcard character in the String wild card field and/or in the Character wild card field.

The default operator varies by field, for example, "like" might be the default for a field containing names but "=" might be the default for a date field. All operators are not available on all fields, for example, like and sndx are not available on date fields.