Searching within a template

As your templates get more complex, it can be difficult to locate a specific item in an element. You can search a template for specific data references, variables, master pages, styles, and element names.

Before you begin

This task outlines searching by using the Search window. You can also right-click an element in the template content editor and select Search. For more information, see the Searching within a template section of the Tips and tricks topic.

About this task

The use of the File Search and JavaScript Search tabs in the Search window is not supported.
Tip: You can click Customize and deselect the RPE Reference Search or JavaScript Search tabs to remove them from the Search window.

Procedure

  1. In Document Studio, click Search > Search. The Search window opens.
  2. Select the RPE Reference Search tab.
  3. Enter a search term.
  4. Select one or more search types:
    • All: To search on data references, variables, master pages, styles, and all element properties. All is the default selection.
    • Data reference: To search for elements that have queries and attributes applied. When you enter a query or attribute, you must enter the full name of the query or attribute. Example: Module/Object/Link/Linked Object
    • Variable: To search for elements that have variable assignments.
    • Master page: To search for elements that have master pages applied, which might contain a header and a footer.
    • Style: To search for elements that a particular style applied to them.
    • Element name: To search for an element with a specific name that was entered in the Properties view.
  5. Select one of the search options if your search term includes wildcard characters. The following tables include examples that are based on these element names:
    paragraphElement1 contains textElement1 and textElement2. paragraphElement11 contains textElementThree.
    • Basic wildcard: These wildcard characters are commonly used in non-Eclipse based software applications and can also be used in Rational® Publishing Engine basic wildcard searches. Basic wildcard is the default wildcard search option.
      Table 1. Basic wildcard characters and descriptions
      Character Description Search term example Example matches Examples that would not match
      * Matches any number of characters within the context of the other characters in the search term textElement*

      textElement1
      textElement2
      textElementThree

      SometextElement1Some textElement1

      ? Matches any single character within the context of the other characters in the search term textElement?

      textElement1
      textElement2

      textElement10StextElement1

    • Regular expression: Also known as regexp, these wildcard characters apply to most Eclipse-based applications, including Rational Publishing Engine, and many programming languages.
      Table 2. Commonly-used regular expression characters and descriptions
      Character Description Search term example Example matches Examples that would not match
      * Matches the preceding character zero or more times textElementThre*

      textElementThree

      text ElementThree

      ? Matches the preceding character zero or one time textElementThre?

      textElementThree

      textElementThreee

      + Matches the preceding character one or more times textElementThre+

      textElementThree

      textElementThre

      . Matches any single character textElement[.]

      textElement1
      textElement2

      textElement11

      [] Matches any one of the characters inside the brackets within the context of the search term textElement[12]

      textElement1
      textElement2

      textElement3

      [^ ] Matches any of the characters except the ones inside the brackets within the context of the search term textElement[^12]

      textElementThree

      textElement1

      | Matches multiple search terms in a list textElement1|textElement2

      textElement1
      textElement2

      textElement11

      \w Matches any alphanumeric characters \wElement

      textElement1
      textElement2
      textElementThree
      paragraphElement1

      text1

  6. Click Search.

Results

The search results display in the Search view. The results include the following columns:
  • Result value: The name as entered in the Properties view for the entity.
  • Search type: The search type match as selected in step 4. Data source includes both queries and attributes.
  • Element: The element type as selected from the Palette view.
  • Used in: The location of the entity, which might be in the element content, condition, variable assignment, or properties.
  • Element name: The name as entered in the General tab of the Properties view for the element.

After you perform a search, you can click a column heading to sort the results.


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