Search Terms Section
Applicability: Cranium, Synapse (core versions 0315+)

Throughout Cranium and Synapse, many fields provide a command, located on the field's commands menu, for conducting an internet search. The queries for such searches are stored in the Search Terms Section.

The Search Terms Section is located in the Summary Chapter of most documents. The section contains one large field displaying a table of search term names, properties and queries.

For example, the search terms shown on line six in the previous figure are:

  • Name: PubChem - the name of the query which will be displayed in the Internet Search Dialog
  • Property: Identifier - the property field for which this search may be conducted
  • Query: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/#query=<<value1>> - the actual query that will be executed on the web
Performing an Internet Search

Entering this search term enables us to perform internet searches from the any identifier field in the document. For example, if we change to the Chemicals Chapter and click the right mouse button on the Identifier Field, the following menu will be displayed. (The Internet Search command will only be enabled if there is a corresponding query term in the document's Search Terms Section.)

Selecting the 'Internet Search' command will activate the Internet Search Dialog.

1
Value 1: this value will be used in the search query. The value is automatically filled in by the application but can be changed.
2
Value 2: this value will be used in the search query. The value is automatically filled in by the application but can be changed. Depending upon the Search Term, Value 2 may not always be used.
3
Available Searches: this control lists all searches that are applicable to the selected field.
4
Search Term: this is the query that will be executed. The terms "<<value1>>" and "<<value2>>" will be replace by the terms in the Value 1 and Value 2 edit controls.

Pressing the dialog's Search button will execute the search and display the result.

1
This was the query executed via the web. It matches the query shown previously in the Internet Search Dialog.
2
This page displays the results of the query. In this example, the query search for Dimethyl Sulfoxide on the PubChem website.
Editing Search Terms

Clicking the left mouse button within the Search Terms field's table control activates the Search Terms edit dialog.

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Table Control: the dialog's table control displays the current list of search terms. Clicking the left mouse button on a table row selects that table row. Clicking and holding the left mouse button down and then dragging the mouse will select several table rows. Double-clicking the left mouse button on a row selects the row and edits the contents of that row.
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Edit Button: pressing the dialog's Edit button activates the Search Term edit dialog. See below for documentation.
3
Commands Button: pressing the dialog's Commands button or clicking the right mouse button on the table control displays the commands menu. This menu provides standard commands for copying, pasting, and clearing library locations. See the documentation on Common Menu Commands for details.
4
Sort Button: the dialog's Sort button will be enabled if two or more rows are selected. Pressing the Sort button will activate the Sort Attribute dialog. This dialog enables you to sort search terms in ascending or descending order by name, property, or query.
5
Test Button: pressing the dialog's Test Button will activate the Search Term Test dialog. Using this dialog you can enter test values for the search term's 'Value1' and 'Value2' variables and perform an internet search. See below for additional documentation.
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Add Rows Button: pressing the Add Rows button will add rows to the bottom of the table control.
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Save Button: pressing the dialog's Save button will validate and then store the search terms into the current document.
Editing a Search Term

Pressing the Search Terms dialog's Edit button or double-clicking the left mouse button on a row in the dialog's table control with activate the Search Term dialog. This dialog enables you to enter the values needed to perform and internet search as well as supporting information.

1
Name Control: enter a name for this search term. Any convenient name is sufficient.
2
Property Control: select the physical property to be searched for from the control's dropdown list. The application will use this property when searching for applicable search terms in reponse to an Internet Search commands menu command.
3
Search Term Control: this is the term supplied to the browser to perform the internet search. Two variables are allowed in this search term: '<<value1>>' and '<<value2>>'. These two variables can be entered in different forms of capitalization, e.g., <<value1>>, <<Value1>>, or <<VALUE1>>. These values will be replaced with the appropriate property values before being sent to the browser.
4
Variables List Control: displays the variables that can be used within a search term. Double-clicking the left mouse button on a variable will insert it into the search term at the current cursor position.
5
Comments Edit Control: displays and enables editing of the comments associated with this library location. A general description of the library's contents is often helpful.
5
Date, Phrase, and Set Buttons: the Date button inserts the current date and time into the Comments Control. The Phrase button inserts the current user's 'Personal Phrase' into the Comments Control. The Set Button activates the Set Phrase Dialog which enables you to change your personal phrase.
5
Test Button: pressing the dialog's Test Button will activate the Search Term Test dialog. Using this dialog you can enter test values for the search term's 'Value1' and 'Value2' variables and perform an internet search. See below for additional documentation.
Testing an Internet Search

Both the Search Terms dialog and the Search Term dialog contain Test buttons that enable you to test your entered search term before saving it into the current document. Pressing the Test button activates the Search Term Test dialog

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Value 1 Control: the entered value will be substituted for the value1 variable in the search term.
2
Value 2 Control: the entered value will be substituted for the value2 variable, if present, in the search term.
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Search Term Control: displays the search term being tested.
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Search Button: substitutes the entered values for the variables in the search term and submits the query to the default browser.
Data Commands Menu

Clicking the right mouse button within a field's table control activates the field's data commands menu.

The menu's commands enable you to copy, cut and paste values to and from the data control. See Common Menu Commands for documentation on the commands commonly found on command menus. See below for documentation on this field's specific menu commands.

Example: Search for a chemical's boiling point on the NIST WebBook website
  1. Open an MKS knowledge base document. (Any document will do as long as it has some search terms such as the example search terms provided by MKS.)
  2. Change to the Chemicals Chapter and navigate to Ethyl Acetate.
  3. Scroll down to the Constant Properties Section and click the right mouse button on the data entry control of the boiling point field.
  4. Select the Internet Search command from the menu. The Internet Search Dialog will be activated.
  5. Select WebBook from the Available Search list and press the Search button.
    1
    Select the WebBook search from the list of available searches.
  6. The application executes the search query and displays the resulting webpage.
    1
    The query executed via the web. It matches the query shown previously in the Internet Search Dialog.
    2
    The webpage displaying the results of the query.
Related Documentation
Topic Description
Summary Chapter contains the titles, description, library locations and general notes asssociated with the current document.