SpendMap User Guide (v14.8)

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Navigation: System-Wide Features and Information > System-Wide Features and Utilities

Lookup (Searching)

Searching for codes and documents

Throughout SpendMap, such as when entering new POs, Requisitions and other documents, you can enter or select Master File codes, such as item codes (part numbers), supplier codes, account codes, etc.

You will also need to enter or select document numbers (such as Purchase Orders, Requisitions, RFQs, etc.), for example, when selecting a PO to receive against or to view the status of a document.

A powerful Lookup (search) feature is available to help you quickly find and select master file codes and document numbers.

TIP: If you know a code or document number, you do not need to use the Lookup feature. You can simply type it in if you prefer.

Lookup is available on all fields that have a button to the right...

Lookup-buttons

Related settings

Available Actions

You can either left or right-mouse-click on the button...

Mouse Action

Result

Left-Click

(basic Lookup)

•Display a Lookup list in alphabetical order, starting from the top/beginning of the file.

•To perform a left-to-right search to find records that start with certain characters (e.g. all items starting with 123 or all suppliers starting with ABC), enter one or more characters in the field before clicking .

•For master file Lookups, the left-to-right match will either be on the code or the description, depending on the settings in Sort Options for Master File Lookup.

Right-Click

(advanced
Lookup)

•Display the extended Lookup options.

•You can also access extended Lookup by selecting the [ADVANCED SEARCH] button at the bottom of the Lookup list.

Lookup List Options

Various options are available by way of buttons at the bottom of the Lookup List...

lookup-2

Extended Lookup Options (Advanced Search)

When you right-mouse-click on the button or select [ADVANCED SEARCH] at the bottom of the Lookup List, you will be presented with a list of fields that you can search by.

The list of fields will be different depending on master file code or document number you are searching for.

You can enter information (search filters) in one or more fields, then click [OK] to find matching codes.

Each time you return to the Extended Lookup Screen, the fields will default from the last search. You can change the fields as needed or click the [NEW] button to refresh the screen for a completely new search.

lookup-extended

Multiple Search Filters (using AND/OR when searching multiple fields)

If you enter search filters in more than one field, you can combine the search filters with either an "AND" operation or an "OR" operation, using the Multiple Filter Optiond at the bottom of the screen.

For example, would you like a list of items supplied by “Acme” AND include the word “DVD” in the description or would you like a list of items that are either from “Acme” OR include the word “DVD” in the description?

Using "OR" will produce a longer list of search results where "AND" will result in a narrower search.

Keyword Search (description and notes fields)

When searching on description and internal notes field, you can perform “Google-like” keyword searches, using one or more keywords.

You can optionally use one or more of the following operators: AND, OR, NOT, () and ""

Searching Code Fields

Left-to-right Match (default): When searching on code fields (i.e. master file codes and document numbers, as opposed to a free-form description or notes field), the system searches the field for a left-to-right match by default. For example, if you are searching for Purchase Orders and you enter "ACME" in the Supplier Code field, SpendMap would list POs from ACME, ACME1, ACMEINC, ACME-XYZ, etc., but would NOT return results for supplier 123-ACME.

Exact Match: To override the default left-to-right search behavior, you can optionally use the “Use exact match for code type fields” option at the bottom of the screen. Referring to the example above, only the supplier "ACME" would match.

Partial Match: You can search WITHIN a master file code or document number, using the "*" (asterisk) wildcard character. Referring to the example above, searching for supplier "*ACME" would return results for suppliers that have ACME anywhere in the supplier code, including ACME (exact match), ACME-XYZ (left-to-right match), 123-ACME-456 (match within code).

Searching for Blank Fields

To find results with the applicable field blank/empty, enter "<BLANK>" (without the quotes) in the applicable field(s). For example, when searching for Purchase Orders, entering "<BLANK>" in the G/L Account field on the search screen will return a list of POs with no G/L Account codes specified.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Popular Search Options

The following keyboard shortcuts can be used instead of the Lookup options listed above:

Key	Results
<?>	•Display a Lookup list in alphabetical order starting from the top/beginning of the file. Same as left-mouse-click on the button. •To perform a left-to-right search to find records that start with certain characters (e.g. all items starting with 123 or all suppliers starting with ABC), enter <?> (one question mark) followed by one or more characters, then press <ENTER>.
<?><?>	•To perform a search on the first few characters of Description, enter <?><?> (two question marks) followed by the first few characters of the description, then press <ENTER>.
<?><?><?>	•To perform a keyword search on the description, enter <?><?><?> (three question marks) followed by a letter, word, or phrase, then press <ENTER>.
<?><?><?><?>	•To display extended search options. Same as right-mouse-click on the button.

Button	Action
[BACK]	•Back up to the previous screen without selecting a code.
[SELECT]	•Pick the currently selected code/document from the list and enter it into the applicable field. •You can also double-click to select from the list.
[ADVANCED SEARCH]	•Display the extended Lookup options. •You can also access extended Lookup by RIGHT-mouse-clicking .
[VIEW]	•For master file Lookups, displays the details of the applicable master file in view-only mode. For document Lookups, displays the applicable Status Utility (e.g. View PO Status). •This allows you to confirm that you have the correct code or document before actually selecting it. •In the case of Item Master File Lookups, you can also view the item's stock status, the Item Source Guide for the item, or the Item's Specification file. This allows you to view the complete status of an item from virtually any data entry screen in SpendMap.
[CHANGE CATALOG]	•If using Master File Catalogs, click this button to change the active catalog.
[ADD NEW CODE]	•Add a new code to the list on-the-fly.

Operator	Action
AND	•Finds records that contain all of the specified words. •Use the AND operator to search for records in which all the terms joined with the AND operator are present. Therefore, if 4 keywords are joined with AND in a search, only records containing all 4 keywords will be returned. On the other hand, a document that contains 3 of the 4 keywords will not be returned. The AND operator helps you narrow your search. By default, SpendMap uses the AND operator. •Be careful not to overuse the AND operator in a query; a search that is too specific could overlook relevant results.
OR	•Finds records that contain at least one of the specified words. •Use the OR operator to search for records in which at least one of the search terms joined with the OR operator is present. The OR operator helps you broaden your search by including synonyms or related terms.
NOT	•Excludes the records that contain the specified word. •Use the NOT operator to ignore records that contain the specified words. The NOT operator helps you narrow your search. •Be careful with the use of NOT as the attempt to narrow the search may be too exclusive and eliminate relevant records.
“”	•Finds records that contain the whole word or the exact phrase. •Use quotation marks to avoid finding similar terms or derived words. If the word you are searching for needs to be considered as a whole word, enclose it in quotation marks. The records must include the specified whole word. •Quotation marks can also be used to search for an exact phrase.
()	•Processes the enclosed sub-query first. •Use parentheses to isolate parts of a query. Sub-queries included in parentheses are processed before all other parts of the query.