Getting Started › Find and Replace

Find and Replace

You can now locate entries in the Model Explorer using the enhanced Find and Replace feature. Using the Locate in Model Explorer and Locate in Diagram options, you can locate objects using their name as displayed in the Model Explorer.

Use the Find and Replace feature to search for anything that is exposed in the model (including all string properties) and optionally replace with the text specified. This feature helps you change across large models to ensure consistent metadata.

Note: The Find and Replace feature does not replace the Find functionality already implemented elsewhere in the program (such as the Model Explorer, Action Log, Bulk Editor, or Complete Compare).

To use the Find and Replace option

1. Click Find either on the Edit menu or in the Model Explorer.

   The Find and Replace dialog opens.

2. Work with the following options:

   Find what

   Specifies the text that you want to find.

   Replace with

   Specifies the text that replaces the text that is found. Select the check box to enable the option and enter replacement text. Click the Replace button to replace the text found with the new text in the Replace with field.

   Match case

   Searches text based on case. When cleared, the case is ignored to determine match.

   Match whole word

   Searches for the entire text string to determine match.

   Match against expanded values

   When selected, expands the macros first and then determines the match on the expanded value. Table and view names are macros by default, unless they are overridden.

   Match only against name

   Searches for match based only on the name of an object. This option is selected by default when you use the Find and Replace feature available in the Model Explorer.

   Wildcard

   Selects DOS or SQL wildcards to determine match. For example, use the asterisk (*) wildcard to search for a string of characters ("c*r" finds "customer" and "car").

   Search

   Specifies the direction within the model to search the text--forward or backward.

   Default: Forward

   If the text is found, it appears in the Found object and property pane. If you use the Find and Replace feature from the Model Explorer, the search results are restricted to the objects available in the model.

   Note: If the property is not marked as Read-only, you can also directly edit the text in the Found object and property pane. If you edit the text in the property pane and click Replace, then the text in the property pane is used as the replacement text and not the text in the Replace with field.

   If the search text is not located, a message states that no matches were found.

   Found object and property

   Displays details of the text that the search has found. Use the following options to go to the corresponding object:

   Locate in Model Explorer

   Locates the search text (object) in the Model Explorer and highlights it.

   Locate in Diagram

   Locates the search text (object) in the current diagram and highlights it.

   Note: If you are using the Find and Replace feature in the Model Explorer, then the Locate in Diagram option is not available. If the object you have searched for is not available in the current diagram, the Locate in Diagram option is not available.

3. Click Find Next.

   The next occurrence of the search text is selected. The search terminates when it reaches the end of the model. A message informs you that there are no more matches and lets you choose if you like to restart the search from the beginning of the model.