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Jama Connect User Guide

Full text search

Jama Connect uses an index of the database fields for its search function. It also searches in text files, Word files, and PDF files to find the items you're looking for.

You can search item IDs, descriptions, attachments, and field values. Search for an item's unique ID (not global ID) and it opens.

Important considerations

  • The application doesn't support searches for null values, including checkboxes that haven't been selected.

  • Files larger than 25 MB aren't indexed, so their content isn't searchable.

  • These file types are indexable: PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, TXT, RTF.

  • These file types are not indexable: XLSX, XLS, XML, HTML, HTM.

Ways you can search

For a simple search you can enter a word or a phrase in the search field. For an advanced search you can use wildcards, Boolean operators, and more.

  • Single term — Enter a single word to find items. For example, Test returns items with the terms test, pretest, tests, tested, and tester.

  • Phrase — Enter a group of words surrounded by double quotes. For example, “primary test" returns only items that contain the words primary test.

  • Single character wildcard — Enter a single character wildcard (?) with a single term (not a phrase). For example, te?t returns items that contain test, tent, and text.

  • Multi-character wildcard — Enter a multi-character wildcard (*) with a single term (not a phrase). For example, syn*ize returns items containing the terms synchronize and synthesize.

    Important

    Don't begin a search with a wildcard (such as ?!*); doing so generates a syntax error.

  • Boolean operators — Boolean operators in ALL CAPS to combine phrases or terms.

    • OR (||) is the default Boolean operator when you enter two terms or phrases. For example, primary test OR sample returns items that contain either primary test OR sample.

    • AND returns items where both terms and phrases exist. For example, primary test AND sample returns documents that contain both primary test and sample.

    • + returns items that must contain the term or phrase immediately following the +. For example, +primary test returns items that must contain primary and might contain test.

    • NOT (-) excludes items that contain the word or phrase after NOT. The application doesn't allow null searches, so you must enter something before the word NOT to get any results. For example, primary test NOT sample returns items that contain primary test but not sample.

  • Parentheses — Use parentheses to group clauses and form sub-queries. For example, (tests OR samples) AND maps returns results that contain tests and maps OR samples and maps.

  • Prefix — Use the prefix tag: to indicate the tag field in your query. For example, tag: requirement management AND tag:security.

  • Field name — Use field names followed by a colon to search for information in specific fields. If a field name contains spaces, replace the space with an underscore character (_). For example, user_status:new returns items with a User status field that contains new.

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