Search Forms

A search form is a customised search form built by a Content Manager administrator. The search forms can be created for any Content Manager object type, and can be built to assist users in searching Content Manager more easily, to suit their business requirements.

You can access the Search Forms function from the Manage ribbon. To be able to use the search form editor, you must have Search Administrator permission, and the feature Search Forms must be selected in the Administration - System Options - Features page.

Search forms can be used both in the client, if the feature Search Forms is selected in the Administration - System Options - Features page, and also in the Web Client, if the feature Web client, is selected in the Administration - System Options - Features page.

Search forms and the Content Manger client

When search forms have been created and the feature is enabled, users will be able to access the search forms from the Search ribbon. If there are search forms available for the object types in the Find group, a new menu will be available Search Forms and the associated search forms that the user has access to will be available as options on this menu.

NOTE: In the Find group - Search forms menu, there is a limit of 5 search forms available within the Search forms menu for Records, Locations, Workflows and Activities. Communications has a limit of 1 Search form and it is displayed as a menu option on the Communications search drop-down menu directly.

For those objects that are not available in the Search ribbon, search forms can been added as custom shortcuts to the Content Manager ribbon. This can be done by users with the Search Administrator permission by tagging the search forms listed in the Manage - Search Forms dialog, right-click and point to Send to, and then click Ribbon Command Shortcuts. Once the search forms are added to the Ribbon Command Shortcuts, you will need to customise the ribbon to add these shortcuts as buttons using the Customise Ribbon option. For users who do not have with the Search Administrator permission can add Search Forms to their ribbon from the Customise Ribbon Command Shortcuts and the Customise Ribbon options. See Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar for details.

NOTE: Search forms can also be set as Global Settings by users with the appropriate permissions, and can be picked up by all users via the File - Get Global Options option. The options to be saved and picked up are Ribbon command shortcuts such as saved searches and search forms, which will allow the user to then add these to their ribbon, and if you want to save/pick up the commands already in the ribbon, also select Ribbon and frame settings.

The fields available on the search forms will be dependent on how it has been set up and for which Content Manager object type it was created to be used for. Some examples of Search Methods that may be included on a Search Form are:

Text Searches - Title, Notes, Document Content, Any Word

Date Searches - Date Created, Date Registered, Date of Communication

Location (People & Places) Searches - Assignee, Owner, Home, Author, Addressee, Name, Unique Name

Numbers Searches - Expanded Number, Container, Classification, Unique Identifier

Content Manager returns items that match all the criteria you entered, like in a logical AND search.

Search forms and the Content Manager Web Client

Content Manager Web Client uses a standard search form by default. However, when the standard search form does not meet your requirements, you may need to create a custom search form using the search form editor in the Content Manager client.

NOTE: After making changes to a search form that is in use, restart Content Manager Web Service and user's instances of Content Manager for the changes to be visible to the users.

  1. In the Search Forms window, right click, and then click New Search Form.
    The New Search Form dialogue appears with the tabs General, Form Definition and Access Controls.
  2. In the tab General, fill in the fields:
    • Searching For - the Content Manager object that the web client should use this form for
    • Name - a unique search form name to find it more easily later
    • Description - a search form description
  3. Use the tab Form Definition, to set up the search form for the object selected in the General tab.
    The Use Methods section shows the search methods that are currently on the form in groups.
    1. In the Use Methods section, you can arrange the groups and the search methods within each group in the required order by using the Up, Down, and Remove buttons
    2. You can create additional search method groups by using the Group button
    3. You can change the labels of the groups by using the Caption button
    4. You can add more search methods to the Use Methods groups by using the Insert button with the search methods in the Available Methods section
  4. Use the tab Access Control to set the permissions for this form, and use Can Use to specify which users should be able to use the form in Web Client. See also Applying Access Controls to functions.
  5. Click OK.
    Content Manager saves your new search form.
  1. Right-click the search form to modify, and then click Properties.
    The Search Form dialogue appears.
  2. Modify the values that need changing.
    See Creating a Search Form above for details.
  3. Click OK.
    Content Manager saves your changes to the search form.
  1. Right click the search form to copy, and then click Copy Search Form.
    Content Manager copies the form and presents the new form in the Search Form dialogue with the old name plus a number in brackets.
  2. Change its properties as required
  3. Click OK to save the new form.
    Content Manager saves the new search form.
  1. Right click the search form to delete, and then click Delete.
    A confirmation dialogue appears.
  2. Click OK to confirm.
    Content Manager deletes the search form.

Once a Search Form has been created it can added as a Favoruites shortcut, accessible from the Favourites Shortcut pane. To add Search Form(s) as a Favourite, select the Search Form(s) to be added, right-click, point to Send To, and then click Favourites.

They can be removed from the Favourites by selecting the Search Form(s), right-click, point to Remove From and then click Remove from Favourites. The selected Search Form(s) will be removed from the Favourites list but will still be accessible via the Manage ribbon - Search Forms.

To run a search using a Search Form, either from the Manage ribbon - Search Forms window, or from the Shortcut pane - Favourites - Search Form window, on a Search Form, right-click and click Open. The Search Form dialog will be displayed, allowing you to define your search using the form.