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Searching

Global search, its filters and the ⌘K command palette.

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Digital objects

Associate files without copying them, create one item per file, find a file that has moved.

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Validating and transferring

Validate a branch, “Prepare for Preservation”, track transfers.

Two tools help you find information:

  • the tree filter (⌘F), which narrows the tree of the fonds on screen to the units whose title or reference code contains some text (see Building the tree);
  • global search (⇧⌘F), which searches the whole repository, description texts included, and is the subject of this chapter.

The Search destination

Click Search in the sidebar (⌘5), or use Edit › Global Search (⇧⌘F) from anywhere. While the field is empty, a reminder shows the syntax:

The empty Search destination: “Search by any word”, with syntax examples

Search covers titles, reference codes, creators, places, subjects and description texts. It ignores case and accents, and matches the beginnings of words.

You typeMemory Atlas finds
portrait studiothe units that contain all the words
"fond gris"the exact phrase
portrait -couleur“portrait” but not “couleur”
jeanne OR léaeither one (ou also works)
cote:PH/1/Aby reference code
date:1996..2003the units with a date that overlaps the range

Reading the results

Léa types “lyon”:

Results of the search “lyon”: two authority records (Studio X, Martin, Léa) and two units (Projet A — Lisières, Fonds photographique) with their excerpts; on the right, the details of Projet A and the “Reveal in Tree (⌘R)” button

  • The Authorities section lists the matching records, with their number of linked units; the button on the right (Open the Record) takes you to the record.
  • The list of units gives, for each one, its title, level, reference code, path within the fonds, an excerpt with the matching word highlighted, and its status. A unit modified since its validation is marked Needs revalidation.
  • Beyond one page of results, Previous page and Next page appear at the bottom.

Select a result: the right-hand column shows it in context (path, linked authority records, index terms, description excerpt, digital objects). Reveal in Tree (⌘R), a double-click or ↩ selects the unit in its fonds’s tree, with its ancestors expanded.

  • Whole repository / This fonds limits the search to the fonds of the selected unit.
  • Sort by orders the results by Relevance, Reference code or Date.
  • The Filters menu narrows the results by:
    • Fonds and Level;
    • Dates…: a range (for example from 1996 to 2003-12); units with at least one date overlapping the range are kept;
    • Creator;
    • Type: genre / form terms, and the type of the associated files (Image file, Video file, Audio file, Document file);
    • Digital objects: With objects, Without objects, File not found;
    • Workflow: the unit’s status, and Needs revalidation;
    • Transfer / preservation: Not transferred, Transfer in progress, Transferred.

Each active filter appears under the field as a tag you remove with a click; Remove All Filters clears them all. When nothing matches, Memory Atlas suggests removing a filter or checking the spelling.

The command palette (⌘K)

The command palette (View › Command Palette…, ⌘K) gives keyboard access to every command in the window and to the units of the repository.

The command palette open on Projet A: New Child Unit, New Sibling Unit, Rename, Move Up, Move Down, Move to Trash, Validate Branch…, and Prepare for Preservation… dimmed with the reason “Validate the branch first”

  1. Type part of the name of a command (“validate”, “trash”…), a title or a reference code.
  2. Browse the results with ↑ ↓.
  3. ↩ runs the command or reveals the unit in the tree; Esc closes the palette.

Unavailable commands stay listed, dimmed, with the reason (for example “Validate the branch first (status “Validated”)” for Prepare for Preservation). Each command shows its keyboard shortcut.