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Searching a Chemical Database<br />

Browsing is often a less efficient way to locate<br />

specific information when databases become large.<br />

In such cases it is better to search the database for a<br />

record or data item.<br />

Searching a database is like using the index of a<br />

book. It is easy to quickly focus on the few pages<br />

you are interested in when using an index. Similarly,<br />

when searching a database, you enter search<br />

parameters and only those records that match that<br />

criteria are returned. Once you have this smaller<br />

collection (often called a hit list with each record<br />

found termed a hit), you can browse it much more<br />

efficiently than you could the whole database.<br />

In this tutorial you will learn how to perform the two<br />

basic types of searches:<br />

• Text search<br />

• Structure search<br />

You will also do a combined search.<br />

Performing a Text<br />

Search<br />

Searching by Formula<br />

For our first text example, we’re going to perform a<br />

Formula search:<br />

1. To clear your query form select Enter Query<br />

from the Search menu or click on the<br />

Enter Query tool on the Search toolbar.<br />

The form is cleared to allow you to enter your<br />

search terms. The status indicator in the status<br />

bar is changed to show you have switched to<br />

query mode.<br />

2. Click in the Mol Formula data box, and enter<br />

the query “C6N1-2”, without the quotation<br />

marks, in the Formula box.<br />

This entry specifies a molecular formula having<br />

6 carbon atoms and 1 or 2 nitrogen atoms.<br />

3. Click the Find tool or the Search button.<br />

ChemFinder begins searching.<br />

The progress of the search is indicated by counters<br />

in the status bar at the bottom of the window. When<br />

the search is complete, the number of hits is<br />

displayed in the Current List Size window of the<br />

Status Bar, and the form displays the first hit.<br />

NOTE: If a search returns no hits, an alert appears.<br />

After the alert is cleared, the screen is left in query<br />

mode with the last query shown to allow you to<br />

modify it and try again.<br />

4. Select Data Table from the View menu to<br />

display the hits and verify that the formulas are<br />

correct.<br />

Find<br />

Enter Query<br />

Find current molecule<br />

Save list Over current list<br />

Find list<br />

Retrieve all<br />

Previous query<br />

Restore list<br />

Restore previous list<br />

<strong>ChemOffice</strong> Enterprise Workgroup & Databases 2005 Scientific Databases First Search Tutorial • 279<br />

Performing a Text Search

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