You can search within a data flow to locate a specific node or property value. This allows you to quickly find and change property values throughout your document, or to find and replace nodes of a specific type. This can be particularly useful when working with large, complex data flows, where only a small proportion of the nodes are visible on the canvas at any one time.
The search is case-insensitive and the extent of the search depends on where you are located within the data flow. If you are at the top level of the data flow, the search will cover all items. If you are within a composite, the search will only cover the contained items.
- From the panel on the left of the screen, click the Search tab.
- Type some search text in the search box.
- Filter your search by specifying where to look for the text. Choose from:
Node name - Search for nodes by name. This is the name that you have given to a selected instance of a node.
Node type - Search for nodes by type. The node type is the default node name, as listed in the Nodes panel.
For example, the following image shows an Aggregate node (node type) named Revenue Analysis (node name):
When searching by node, the search will only locate nodes that have been explicitly added to the document, or edited in this instance of the document. Inherited nodes that have not been edited will not be found. For example, the Sort and Transform nodes within an Aggregate node will not be found unless you have edited them.
- Properties and scripts - Search for text in property values. This type of search only includes properties that you have edited in this instance of the document, and does not include run properties.Note: You can only select one category to search within at a time.
Optionally, select Whole word to refine your search to return only those items which exactly match the search terms.
- Click the magnifying glass to search.
- All matching items are listed under Search Results:
- Click an item to navigate to the corresponding node on the canvas. If you searched for Properties and scripts, the relevant property value will be highlighted in yellow in the Properties panel.
- You can use the Find Previous and Find Next buttons to the right of the search box to cycle through the Search Results.
Examples
Searching for all instances of a given node
You want to locate all Modify Fields nodes in your data flow:
- Click the Search tab.
- Type
modifyin the search box. - From the Search Options, select Node type.
- Click the magnifying glass to search.
- The Search Results lists all Modify Fields nodes within your data flow. Clicking one of the search results will select the corresponding node on the canvas.
Searching for a node by name
You want to locate all nodes that contain the word "product" in their name:
- Click the Search tab.
- Type
productin the search box. - From the Search Options, select Node name.
- Click the magnifying glass to search.
- The Search Results lists all nodes within your data flow that have the word "product" in their name, with the search term highlighted in yellow.
You could refine this search further by selecting Whole word. This would only return the nodes where the word "product" appears in the node name as a separate word, for example "ProductInfo" would be omitted.
Searching for property values
You want to locate any nodes that reference "order_id" in a property:
- Click the Search tab.
- Type
order_idin the search box. - From the Search Options, select Properties and scripts.
- Click the magnifying glass to search.
- The Search Results show all nodes within your data flow that have a property value that contains
order_id. For each search result, the node and node property where the search term is used are listed. Clicking one of the search results will select the corresponding node on the canvas and highlight the search term in the Properties panel.