Searching the library

Note: This topic is not applicable for users running Spotfire® Analyst without a server. The concept of a library only applies to environments with a server.

Note: Depending on where you are searching, you might get different search results, because only allowed types will be returned. For example, when searching in the Files and data flyout, only items that can be opened or pinned to a flyout, such as analyses, data connections, data functions or visualization mods are shown.

Tip: When browsing in the Files and data flyout, the content in the library can be sorted by Name, Modified, and Type by clicking Sort button

in the upper right corner.

Searching for a text string will by default look for matching text in the title and keywords of the items in the library. You can use wildcards and boolean operators to search for parts and combinations of words. For a listing of the basic search syntax, see Searching in Spotfire clients.

Library-specific search


Keyword	Example	Function
`title:<word in title>`	`title:sales`	Locates library items with the specified word (or part of word) somewhere in the title.
`created_by: <username>`	`created_by:admin` `createdby:admin` `created_by::admin`	Locates library items created by a certain user. In the first examples, all items modified by any users beginning with 'admin' will be found. In the last example, only items modified by the user 'admin' will be found.
`modified_by: <username>`	`modified_by:admin` `modifiedby:admin`	Locates library items modified by a certain user.
`item_type:<type>` or `type:<type>`	`item_type:datasource` `type:datafunction`	Locates items of a specific type. Note: Some of the listed types are only available when searching in the Library Administration tool, or in the Spotfire Server Library page. If you use TIBCO Cloud™ Spotfire®, information model elements are not available. The available types in the files and data flyout are: `folder`, `dxp` (= Spotfire analysis file), `SBDF` (= Spotfire Binary Data Format file), `datafunction`, `dataconnection`, and `mod`. Tip: In the Files and data flyout, you can search for `type:alldata` to limit the results to only include data connections, connection data sources, information links, data functions, and SBDF files. In other views you can also search for `connectiondatasource` (= a data source for a data connection), and `colorscheme`. If your company uses Information Services, you can also search for the following in certain views: `query` (=information link), `datasource` (= a data source in Information Services), and the Information Services elements `column`, `filter`, `join`, and `procedure`.
`item_id::<GUID>` or `id::<GUID>`	`item_id::dac3cd8c-47ec-454a-a8f2-691c60ece052`	Locates a specific library item based on its unique identifier.
`description`	`description:sales` `type:dxp description:sales` `description::null`	Locates all items containing the specified word in their description. Locates all analysis files containing the specified word in their description. Locates all items that are missing a description. Use wildcards (*) to locate items with the word anywhere in the description.
`keywords`	`keywords:sales` `type:dxp keywords:sales`	Locates all items containing the specified keyword. Locates all analysis files containing the specified keyword. Use wildcards (*) to locate items with the word anywhere in the keywords.
`connector: <connector name>` (this keyword is only available when searching in the Data in analysis flyout)	`connector:sql` `connector:"Microsoft SQL Server"`	Locates all data connections or connection data sources from a certain connector. Use the adapter name or the full data connector name within quotes.
`spotfire.connector: <connector name>` (this can be used for all library searches)	`spotfire.connector:google` `spotfire.connector:Spotfire.GoogleAnalyticsAdapter`	Locates all data connections or connection data sources from a certain connector, including those embedded in analyses. Use the adapter name or the beginning of the adapter name (the part after `Spotfire.`) to search.
`depends_on (<expression> )`	`depends_on(item_id::538bcde4-7212-475f-a348-5bb41ba39c41)` `depends_on(title:Sales)` `depends_on(type::dataconnection)`	Locates all items that depend on a specific element. If the GUID in the example to the left belongs to a data connection, the search will find all analyses that use that data connection.
`required_by (<expression> )`	`required_by(item_id::6f6dc7e0-57bd-11d7-5ac0-0010ac110132)` `required_by(title:MyAnalysis)` `required_by(type::dataconnection)`	Locates all items that are required by another item.
`modified`	`modified:"2 days ago"` `modified:"a week ago"` `modified:>"an hour ago"` `modified:today` `modified:<"this month"` `modified::>created` `modified:"2015-02-01T18:27:55CEST"`	It is possible to search for items that have been modified during a specified time span, relative to today. There are two different ways of describing relative dates and times: 1) State the number of time parts ago in a string surrounded by quotes. The available time parts are seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. For example, search for `modified:<"6 months ago"`. The given number of time units will be subtracted from the current time in the search. 2) State the time period to look back at using either of the keywords; `today`, `yesterday`, `"this week"`, `"this month"`, `"this year"`. Note that you need quotes around all keywords consisting of more than one word. In this type of search, the last part of the date or time is "reset" (the time gets set to zero, the day of the month gets set to 1 etc.). The start day of a week is dependent on your server locale. For a en-US locale the first day of the week would be Sunday. Modified, created and accessed can also be used in comparisons with each other. The example `modified::>created` locates all items that have been modified after their creation. Modified can also be used together with a timestamp of ISO 8601 format (`"yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssz"`) to find items modified at a specific time.
`created`	`created:>"this week"` `created:<"2 weeks ago"` `created:>"2015-02-01T18:27:55CEST"`	It is possible to search for items that have been created during a specified time span, relative to today. See details regarding the allowed time spans under "modified" above. Modified, created and accessed can be used in comparisons with each other. Created can also be used together with a timestamp of ISO 8601 format (`"yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssz"`) to find items created at a certain time.
`accessed`	`accessed:>"this month"` `accessed:<"2 weeks ago"` `accessed:null` `accessed:>"2015-02-01T18:27:55CEST`"	It is possible to search for items that have been accessed during a specified time span, relative to today. See details regarding the allowed time spans under "modified" above. Modified, created and accessed can be used in comparisons with each other. Accessed can also be used together with a timestamp of ISO 8601 format (`"yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssz"`) to find items accessed at a certain time. The example `accessed:null` finds all items that have never been accessed. The last example finds all items that have been accessed after the first of February 2015.
`::>`	`modified::>created`	Used to finds items strictly greater than the expression following the operator. For example, finds all items that have been modified after their creation.
`::<`	`accessed::<modified`	Used to finds items strictly less than the expression following the operator. For example, finds all items that have been modified after they were last accessed.
`parent_id:: <folder GUID>`	`parent_id::538bcde4-7212-475f-a348-5bb41ba39c41`	Locates all items located in the specified folder.
`format_version: <string or null>`	`format_version:null`	Locates all items of a specified format version. For example, all items which have no format version specified can be found.
`version_name: <word in name>`	`version_name:final` `versionname:certified`	Locates library items whose latest available version has a version name that starts with the specified word (or part of word). Use wildcards (*) to locate items with the word anywhere in the name.
`version_created_by: <username>`	`version_created_by:admin` `versioncreatedby:certificationuser`	Locates library items where the latest available version was modified by a certain user.
`version_comment: <word in comment>`	`version_comment:Draft` `versioncomment:draft`	Locates all items whose latest available version has a version description that starts with the specified word (or part of word). Use wildcards (*) to locate items with the word anywhere in the comment.

Analysis files

When searching for analysis files, there are a number of search parameters that may help you locating a specific group of analyses. If you want to locate analysis files only, you can add type:dxp to any search expression.


Keyword	Example	Function
`AllowWebPlayerResume: <true or false>`	`AllowWebPlayerResume:true`	If true, locates all analysis files that allow personalized views for all web client users.
`EmbedAllSourceData: <true or false>`	`EmbedAllSourceData:true`	If true, locates all analysis files that embed all the source data in at least one data table. ('Embedded in analysis' check box selected.)
`AllTablesEmbedded: <true or false>`	`AllTablesEmbedded:true`	If true, locates all analysis files that only have embedded data tables.

Information model elements

If you want to locate information model elements of a specific type only, add type:column (or filter, join, procedure, query, folder or datasource) to the search expression.

Note: If you use TIBCO Cloud™ Spotfire®, Information Designer and the information model elements are not available.


Keyword	Example	Function
`description`	`description:sales` `type:query description:sales`	Locates all items containing the specified word in their description. Locates all information links containing the specified word in their description.
`column`	`column:Sales` `column::Sales`	Locates all items referring to a source column with the specified name. The source column could be referred to in the conditions or groupings of a column element, a filter condition, a join condition or the join condition of a procedure.
`table`	`table:SalesandCost`	Locates all items referring to a source table or stored procedure with the specified name. This could be referred to in the conditions or groupings of a column element, a filter condition, the condition or target tables of a join or in the source procedure or join condition of a procedure.
`schema`	`schema:dbo`	Locates all items referring to a source schema with the specified name. This could be referred to in the conditions or groupings of a column element, a filter condition, the condition or target tables of a join or in the source procedure or join condition of a procedure.
`catalog`	`catalog:Sales`	Locates all elements referring to a source catalog with the specified name. This could be referred to in the conditions or groupings of a column element, a filter condition, the condition or target tables of a join or in the source procedure or join condition of a procedure.
`datatype`	`datatype:integer`	Locates all columns of the specified data type (integer, real, string, date, time, datetime, clob or blob).
`parameter`	`parameter:MinSales` `parameter:*`	Locates information links using the specified parameter.
<property_name>:<property_value>	`"my.prop":*`	Custom properties in any information model element are searchable using the same syntax. However, note that the property name must by quoted if it contains a '.' delimiter.

Combinations of keywords

You can combine many of the keywords described above to create more advanced search expressions. For example:

(not (required_by(type:dxp))) and type:query - searches for information links that are not used by any analysis file in the library.

required_by(type::query InformationLinkName) - shows the elements used by the information link with the name 'InformationLinkName'.

(not (required_by(type:dxp))) and type:dataconnection - searches for data connections that are not used by any analysis file in the library.

type:dxp depends_on(type:dataconnection title:Salesforce) - searches for analyses that uses a data connection in the library with "Salesforce" in its title.

format_version:5.5 OR format_version:5.0 OR format_version:4.5 - searches for old analyses that are saved in versions 5.5, 5.0 or 4.5 and should be re-saved in a newer version.

To search for items in the Files and data flyout:

On the authoring bar, click Files and data .
Click in the search field at the top of the flyout, and start typing the name of the content that you want to search for.
As you type, all the files, folders, and other content that match your search string will be listed.
Tip: To reset the flyout to the normal view, click the X button in the search field.

Tip: In the installed client, when searching in the Files and data flyout you can also search external libraries, like the TIBCO Cloud Data Streams or the TIBCO Data Virtualization integration.

To search for items in the Spotfire Server Library page:

In your client, select File > View library.
On the Library page, click in the search field at the top of the page, and start typing the name of the content that you want to search for.
As you type, all the files, folders, and other content that match your search string will be listed.
Tip: To reset to the normal view, click the X button in the search field.
Tip: You can copy the browser path when you have performed a search, and share it with others, to easily provide a library URL including a search expression. You can also add a search to the library URL manually, but then you must use URL encoding, such as adding '%20' to replace all spaces, in the search query.
Example of a search for all files modified by the user 'cert_user', less than 10 days ago:
```
https://my-server.my-company.com/spotfire/ui/library/browse/{server id}?q=modified_by:cert_user%20modified:>"10%20days%20ago"
```
Example of a path with a search for items modified by the user 'cert_user' and also has the word 'sales' in the beginning of title:
```
https://my-server.my-company.com/spotfire/ui/library/browse/{server id}?q=modified_by:cert_user%20sales
```

To search for items in the Library Administration tool:

An on-premises administrator can use the Library Administration tool in Spotfire Analyst to work with items in the library.

In Spotfire Analyst, select Tools > Library administration.
Type the text you want to search for in the search field at the top right corner of the Library Administration tool.
Click on the Search button. The Library Administration tool will switch to a Search Result view.
The items matching your search criteria are shown in the list. To return to the normal folder view, click the Back to folder link.

To search for items in Information Designer:

An on-premises information modeler can search for items in the Information Designer.

In Spotfire Analyst, select Data > Information designer.
Type the text you want to search for in the search field at the top of the Elements tree.
Click on the search button with a magnifying glass.
Note: Searching for data sources does not include searching for database entities like catalogs, schemas or tables. It is only the database instance itself that can be located via search.
The items matching the search result are shown in the list. To return to the normal folder view, click the Clear Search link.

To use search from the API

A developer can include search for public library item types using the API.