Feature request revisited

[Steven Horn]

This was brought up before but I don’t remember it this can or will be implemented in Tap Forms. What I want is demonstrated in the link below using Bento. Since Bento is no longer supported, I have high hopes for Tap Forms to offer this function but was it decided that this would or would not ever be implemented?

My request is to be able to search all fields with multiple terms to show results that reveal entries that meet all the terms.

My search entries in the linked video are as follows:

–No search criterea, all entries displayed.

–Search to filter results:
—orton

—orton + sombre

—orton + sombre + odd

—orton

—orton + curiosity

—orton + curiosity + driving

—orton + curiosity

—orton + curiosity + gentle

–delete all to reveal all entries

I remember discussion that said it would slow down search speed. I wonder if it would ever be a choice for the user.

[Brendan]

Hi Stephen,

The reason this doesn’t work in Tap Forms at the moment is because of the way the data is stored in the database. All your values are stored in one table in one column within that table. Each row in the database contains that field’s worth of data. So if you had a single field that had “orton curiosity” in it then Tap Forms would find it because both values are in the same field. But since you have “orton” in one field and “curiosity” in another, those are actually stored in the same database column, but in different rows. So a search for “orton curiosity” in the current way Tap Forms searches, would require that both “orton” and “curiosity” be in the same field.

Now, after thinking about it for a bit, there is a way I could make this work. I would have to separate each term in the search field by spaces and create a separate SQL query for each term and then intersect the two results. Sorry for the techno jargon, but it helps me to understand the problem and a possible solution.

However, having said that, you are able to make this work yourself by using a Saved Search. So instead of searching directly for “orton sombre”, you could create a Saved Search which searches one field for “orton” and searches the other field for “sombre”. Tap Forms will intersect the search results already for you to give you what you are looking for; a set of rows which contains “orton” in one field and “sombre” in another.

I hope that makes sense.

Thanks!

Brendan

[Steven Horn]

But what I’m doing in Bento searches all fields for each term. It will pull any instance of sultry regardless of the field, then from those choices show any instance of maniacal regardless of the field and you might see:

orton | sultry | endearing | maniacal
gillespie | driving | maniacal | sultry
kilstedt | maniacal | sultry | light

then add light to sultry maniacal to read “sultry maniacal light” and you get
kilsdtedt | maniacal | sultry | light

But what you suggest trying in Tap Forms only works using the advanced search and further filter by terms in a single field. Adding terms anywhere else draws from the entire database and adds all instances of the search term to the current search

Or so I think it works….brain full.

[Brendan]

Hi Steven,

I understand exactly how Bento is doing their searches. Yes, what I suggested works only for the advanced search. You can pick a specific field to search, then enter in a search term. Then add another search rule, pick another field, then enter in a different term.

Tap Forms only searches the entire database of forms if you click on the All Forms button after you type in a search term into the general search field.

[Steven Horn]

Ok, so my original question was, “Will this ever be implemented in Tap Forms?”

[Brendan]

I’m thinking about it.

[gkuehn]

Hi, I think my question relates to this. My bento database was set up so that there were keywords in different fields that I might search for. For example 1960s + Sculpture + Steel or 1960s + Sculpture + Wood or 1980s + Painting + Enamel. I’m not able to locate works in my Tap forms database because the search bar does not seem to function this way. I have 2,500 records of artwork, most of them are untitled and I need a way to locate the work. Please advise. Thank you.

Cindy

[Brendan]

Hello Cindy,

Have you tried the advanced search in order to build up these kinds of queries? You can get to it by clicking on the search button just to the left of the Search field. Although I understand that it wouldn’t be as convenient as the way Bento handled searches. This is still something I haven’t had a chance to work on yet. I’ve still got lots of compatibility work to do before the release of Yosemite and iOS 8.

Thanks,

Brendan

[gkuehn]

To be honest this makes the function of my database really tedious. When I try this and I still need to further filter my results I have to start a new search, I don’t see that I can save my place.

In my Bento database I added a section called “keywords” in this section I would add a search term if it did not occur in the other fields, for example “Bolt Pieces” is a series of sculptures, so if a work was part of a different series, but but I wanted it to come up in my search results for bolt, I would add this as a keyword. When I add bolt as a search term under “keywords” and “series” I only get results that contain bolt in both fields, otherwise it seems I can only search one field at a time.

I don’t see the “All Forms” button that you mention above…

Thanks, I appreciate your fast reply!
Cindy

[Brendan]

Hi Cindy,

If your keywords are all in the same field it should work as you’ve discovered.

The All Forms button appears at the top of the records list view right next to the selected form name.

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[Anonymous]

Hi Brendan (and previous posters, perhaps my post will help you too)

Sorry for coming back to an old topic, but I’m running into a similar problem. I’m trying to setup my database with a shared list of keywords for several forms. Like this, in theory, I would able to search for the keyword ‘love’ and find books, movies and quotes that have this keyword.

As far as I’m concerned at the moment this kind of advanced full database search is not possible. I can either make an advanced (‘saved’) search for 1 form, or I make a general search (which doesn’t allow something like ‘WHERE tags CONTAINS love’) through all forms. Both don’t accomplish the task. Can you confirm this is indeed not possible in this way? Or are there some kind of operators I can use in the main search box?

Now I’ve found a way to actually make it (kinda) work which I’d like to share with you, even though it’s a little far-fetched and probably not useful in every situation. Instead of making a list of the keywords, I put them in a separate form (with just 1 field). Now I add the wonderful (<3) ‘link to form’ field (many-to-many) to all forms I’m using keywords in. If I select ‘show relations’ and subsequently open a record in the ‘tags’ form, it shows all the linked records from all the different forms I use the keywords in. Hope this might be useful for someone.

[Brendan]

Hi Jereon,

You can put multiple keywords in the general search separated by “OR” (all in uppercase).

For example:

Terminator OR Styx

That would return all records that had either Terminator OR Styx in them. And if you click on the All Forms button, that’ll search across all forms.

Hope that’s what you’re looking for.

Thanks,

Brendan

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