Searching

NEXUS IC provides two ways to search information in the database:

A database-wide search, which searches across all records in the database (see Database-Wide Search)
An asset-specific search, which searches within the asset tree (see Asset Search)

All search types in NEXUS IC run in the background, allowing you to continue working in the application while a search is in progress.

The following sections describe additional search features and options:

Multi-keyword search logic, describing how multiple terms can be used together (see Multi-Keyword Search Logic)
Search filters, which restrict searches to specific tables (see Use Search Filters)
Searching for specific event records (see Search Event Records)
Reviewing search results in the Search Results pane, showing how results are grouped and how to navigate to and edit search result items (see View Search Results)
Differences in search behaviour across NEXUS solutions (see Searching in Different Solutions)
Autocomplete (see Autocomplete) and Find As You Type (see Find As You Type) features for fast in-grid searching

Database-Wide Search

Use a database-wide search to locate items anywhere in the NEXUS IC database.

To perform a database-wide search:

In the top-right corner of the main screen, type your search text in the search box.
Press ENTER or click the icon.
Review the results in the Search Results pane.

Note

Anomaly codes and numbers are searchable. For example, an anomaly with code AN and number 1 can be found by searching for AN-1.
You can cancel an active search at any time by selecting .

Asset Search

On the ASSETS, PLANNING, or INSPECTION screens, you can search for assets directly from the asset tree.

To perform an asset search:

Ensure the asset tree has focus, then start typing on the keyboard. A search box appears at the bottom of the asset tree. Alternatively, press Ctrl+F to display the search box.
Press ENTER or click the icon.
Review the results in the Search Results pane.

Note

You can cancel the search at any time by selecting or pressing ESC.
Pressing ESC closes the asset tree search box.

Multi-Keyword Search Logic

NEXUS IC supports multiple search terms in a single query.

Unquoted keywords use OR logic. For example, abc def matches items containing either abc or def.
Quoted phrases use AND logic. For example, "def ghi" matches items containing both def and ghi.

You may combine both forms. For example, abc "def ghi" matches items containing abc or items containing def and ghi.

This behaviour applies to all search types, including database-wide, asset, and filtered searches.

Tip

Use the underscore character (_) as a wildcard to represent a single character.

Use Search Filters

You can restrict searches to specific tables to improve performance and reduce irrelevant results. To apply a search filter, prefix your search term with ::, followed by the table name:

::[Table Name] [Search term]

If the table name contains spaces, enclose it in quotation marks.

Examples

Search only assets for the string PSV-1005:

::Asset PSV-1005
Search only anomalies for the string AW @ 10" PL:

::Anomaly AW @ 10" PL

You can also limit searches to a specific Asset Information Group (AIG) or event by using the same syntax. Precede the search term with ::, followed by the name of the AIG or event. If the AIG or event name has spaces in it, enclose it in quotations.

For example, to search for the material type ASTM A516 Grade 70N within the Vessel Data AIG:

::"Vessel Data" ASTM A516 Grade 70N

Common Search Parameters

You can use the following common search parameters to search data within specific tables:

Category	Search Parameters
Inspections	`::[Event Name]`, `::Finding`, `::Commentary`, `::Multimedia`
Assets	`::Asset`, `::[AIG Name]`, `::"Asset History"`
Anomalies	`::Anomaly`, `::"Anomaly Action"`, `::Finding`
Library	`::Library`
Planning	`::Workpack`, `::Task`, `::"Planning Template"`, `::Shutdown`
Miscellaneous	`::"Report Template"`, `::"Table Definition"`, `::"Field Definition"`, `::"Function Definition"`

Filtering your search results is especially useful in large databases where global searching takes a long time.

Refine Searches by Column

You can further refine a filtered search to target a specific column within a table. To search within a specific column, use the following syntax:

::[Table Name].[Column Name] [Search term]

Example

To search explicitly for the value 2553 within the component_ID column of the Asset table:

::Asset.component_ID 2553

By default, NEXUS IC does not search unique identifiers (IDs). Column-level searches allow you to explicitly include unique IDs in your search.

Note

If the column name contains spaces, enclose it in double quotation marks. For example:

::Anomaly."Reference Number" 10022014_269

Search Event Records

You can locate specific events by combining the event type with its event number using the format:

"EventType #EventNumber"

Examples:

"GVI #7" returns the GVI event with Event Number 7.
"Monitoring #3" returns the Monitoring event with Event Number 3.

Quotation marks and the # symbol restrict the search to the specified event type and number. If quotation marks or # are omitted (for example, GVI #7 or "GVI 7"), the search may return broader results matching either the event type or the number.

View Search Results

The Search Results pane displays all items returned by your search. It is docked either to the right or the bottom of the application window. You can change its docking position using the Align Bottom or Align Right icons in the pane toolbar.

The pane supports basic view adjustments, such as showing or hiding the Asset Location column or applying best-fit sizing. These options are available through the Customise toolbar option.

Results are grouped into categories (see Result Categories). You can also navigate to search result items (see Navigate to Search Result Items) or edit them directly (see Edit Items from Search Results).

Tip

You can also initiate additional searches directly from the Search Results pane by entering new text and pressing ENTER.
You can keep the Search Results pane open while working in NEXUS IC and close it when no longer needed.

Result Categories

In the Search Results pane, results are grouped into categories (for example, ANOMALY, ASSET, FINDING).

Category names are displayed in capital letters.
Categories with many results are initially collapsed.
Categories with fewer results are automatically expanded.

Navigate to Search Result Items

From the Search Results pane, you can navigate to a result item in any of the following ways:

Double-click a result item (not a category).
Select an item and click Navigate To in the toolbar.
Right-click an item and select Navigate To from the context menu.

When navigating to an item, NEXUS IC opens the relevant screen and focuses on the selected item. For example:

If you navigate to a specific asset, NEXUS IC switches to the ASSETS screen and focuses the asset in question.
If the item is managed through a configuration screen (see Configuration), screen, NEXUS IC opens that screen docked within the main application window and displays the item.

Edit Items from Search Results

You can edit items directly from the Search Results pane:

Select an item and click Edit in the toolbar.
Right-click an item and select Edit from the context menu.

Searching in Different Solutions

NEXUS IC performs a full database-wide search. Other NEXUS solutions behave differently:

IC-Inspection searches only a subset of the database.
IC-Web provides a search box above the asset tree, which searches asset names only.

For information about searching in IC-Inspection, see General Features in IC-Inspection.

Autocomplete

In case you see a record lookup editor (a text box with a ellipsis button and clear clear button at the right), you can begin typing the desired value. NEXUS IC automatically completes the entry where possible, without opening the picker dialog.

Autocomplete works best when the desired value is unique or clearly identifiable by its first few characters. If multiple entries share similar names (for example, Anode 001, Anode 002), Find As You Type may be more suitable.

Find As You Type

In most grids, you can filter visible rows by typing directly while the grid has focus. This activates the Find As You Type feature.

For more information, see Find As You Type.