Searching for Elements

You can search for model elements by names, specification texts, properties, annotations, label values, date or type system option and apply these in the Result Region. In the dialog, you can save a search under a specific name in order to reuse it. There are also predefined searches which you can customize to an extent.

The search for model elements with specific properties is primarily carried out in the Find dialog, which you can open using the Start>Browse>Find (Ctrl+F) command.

The Start>Browse>Find submenu has two sections:

• Predefined search  Find Diagrams with Annotations

  The search results are added to the Result Region tool window.

• User-defined searches

  In the Find dialog, you can save a search under a specific name in order to reuse it as a User-defined configuration. You can use an SQL query language for complex, extended searches.

  You can also use complex search patterns with the inoref.xml file in the $INODIR directory.

The Find dialog contains the following tabs:

•  Find Name

  Search for model elements by their name component and/or element type.

•  Find Specification

  Search for model elements by their text or regular expressions in specification texts.

•  Find Property

  Combined search for model elements by their name, stereotype, properties and stereotype properties.

•  Find Annotation

  Search for model elements by their text or regular expressions in annotations for dialog elements.

•  Find Label

  Search for model elements by their label values.

•  Find Date

  Search for model elements by their date of creation or modification.

•  Find Type System Option

  Search for model elements by their type system, type system option and/or value.

•  Find elements using advanced query language

  Search for model elements with an SQL query language which enables complex search combinations.

You can jump between tabs; any settings you may have made are not lost until the dialog is closed.

Saving a search and clicking on Find does not combine settings from various tabs.

You have the following search options:

• Search for a string in a specification text using Text>Find and Replace
• Search for a string in a diagram using Design>Find