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, 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 a specific unique item ID (not global ID) and it opens.

Important considerations

  • The application doesn't support searches for null values. This includes checkboxes that haven't been checked.

  • Files over 25 MB aren't indexed so their content isn't searchable.

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

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

Ways you can search

You can search for a word or a phrase for a simple search, and you can use advanced methods like wildcards, Boolean operators, and more to find the items you need.

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

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

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

    Note

    You can't begin a search with a wildcard (such as ?!*) or you will receive 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 return results that contain tests, maps, samples and maps or all three terms.

  • 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. For field names that contain spaces use an underscore. For example, user_status:new returns items with a User status field that contains new.

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