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Searching for Strings

The ChangeMan ZDD Search facility allows you to search data sets, Unix directories, or ChangeMan ZMF libraries for character strings. This is much faster than using Windows Search or your text editor to search z/OS libraries and directories.

When you use Windows Search or your text editor, each file being searched must be transferred to your local computer in order to perform the search. With ChangeMan ZDD Search, the search is performed entirely on the server. Only the search results need to be transferred back to your Windows machine.

The ChangeMan ZDD Search facility allows you to search any combination of data sets, Unix directories, and ChangeMan ZMF libraries, all at the same time. Searching Unix directories, however, requires SerNet 7.1.2+. You can still search data sets with earlier server versions.

The search dialog box will display each line of text that matches the search arguments. You can double click on any line of the search results and the file will be displayed in the text editor, automatically positioned to the selected line.

You can invoke the Search facility as follows:

  1. Press the Start button and choose All Programs.

  2. Then select the ZDD Search command from the ChangeMan ZDD program menu. You can also start Search and, at the same time, specify folders to be searched as follows:

    1. In the File Explorer, select one or more data sets, Unix directories, or ChangeMan libraries to be searched.

    2. Right click, and choose Search files from the ZDD Network popup menu.

Search Arguments Page

The Search for Strings dialog box is shown in the illustration below. This dialog box has two pages. Initially, the dialog box displays the search arguments page.

Specifying Folders to Be Searched

ChangeMan ZDD allows you to search several folders at the same time. These can be any combination of standard data sets, Unix directories, and ChangeMan ZMF libraries. To add a folder to the list of those to be searched, enter the UNC path name for the data set, Unix directory, or ZMF library to be searched into the Path name field and press the Add button.

Unix directories can only be specified if the server is SerNet 7.1.2 or higher.

Instead of manually entering the UNC path name, you can browse for the search folder by pressing the “…” browse button. This will display a standard dialog box for choosing the folder.

You can remove path names from the search list using the Remove or Clear buttons. The Remove button removes only those paths that are currently selected in the list box. The Clear button clears the entire list.

Saving the Path Name List

You can create named lists of path names to be searched and recall those same path lists later to use for other searches. To save the list of paths that are currently in the list box, press the Save List button. You will then be prompted with the dialog box below, which allows you to save the list using a name of your choosing.

To save the list, specify a name in the List name field and press OK. You can also replace an existing list by clicking on one of the names from the list box on the left side. To delete one of the existing lists, select the list to be deleted from the list box on the left side, and press the Remove button.

The list box on the right side of the dialog box shows the contents of the list that you are about to save.

Retrieving a Path Name List

To retrieve a previously saved path name list, press the Get List button. The dialog box below will then display, allowing you to choose one of the saved lists.

Simply choose the list that you want to use from the list box on the left side and press the OK button. Whenever you select a list on the left side of the dialog box, the contents of the selected list are displayed on the right side of the dialog box.

To delete one of the existing lists, select the list to be deleted from the list box on the left side, and press the Remove button.

Filtering by File or Member Name

If desired, you can limit the search to specific file names or member names. For this, enter a file name, member name, or pattern in the File name filter field of the search dialog box. For partitioned data sets, the file name filter refers to the member name.

The file name filter can include "*" and "?" in any position. For example *z*.txt would search all files that contained a "z" in the file name and had a file extension of ".txt".

For older servers, prior to SerNet 7.1.2, the file name filter is much more restrictive. The filter can only contain a single "*" wild character, and if present, the "*" must be the last character. For example, XYZ* would search only member names that begin with XYZ.

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Specifying the Search Strings

You can search for either one or two strings at a time. The search strings are entered into the String 1 and String 2 fields. The string fields have a drop-down list that allows you easily to recall recently used search strings.

To the right of the search strings are two radio buttons:

  • And: Match only lines that contain both search strings.

  • Or: Match lines that contain either search string.

Limiting the Search to Certain Columns

You can the limit the search to a range of column numbers. Enter the column numbers into the Left column and Right column fields. You can specify either column number or both column numbers. If the Left column field is blank, the search begins in column 1. If the Right column field is blank, then the search continues for the reminder of the line. Therefore, if no column numbers are entered, all columns are searched.

Miscellaneous Options

At the bottom of the dialog box are three check boxes:

  • Ignore case: Search strings are not case sensitive.

  • Search subdirectories: For Unix directories, recursively searches all subdirectories.

  • List file names only: Only the file or member names are displayed and not the actual lines of text.

After all search argument information has been entered, press the Search button to begin the search. The dialog box will then display the search results page.

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Search Results Page

The search results page displays the names of the files, as well as the actual lines of text that match the search arguments. The search results page is illustrated below.

Search Progress Indicator

If you are searching multiple folders, the results are added for each folder one at a time as each search completes. While the search is still in progress the status indicator in the lower left corner will display “Searching…” as flashing text. Once the search has completed for all folders, the status indicator will display “Complete”.

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Results Format

The search results are displayed as a tree with three levels:

  • Path name for the data set, Unix directory, or ChangeMan ZMF library

    • File name for the member or Unix file (“*” for sequential data sets)

      • Lines of matching text

        The text lines are prefixed with the line number in blue. The search strings within the text are highlighted in red.

Editing the Matching Files

You can display or edit any of the files in the result tree using any of the following methods:

  • Double-click on a file name or line of text.

  • Right-click on a file name or line of text and select Edit from the popup menu.

  • Left-click on a file name or line of text to select it, and then press the Edit button at the bottom of the dialog box.

    When you edit a file, the file will be opened with ChangeMan Edit. If you initiated the edit operation by clicking on one of the text lines, the cursor will automatically be positioned to that line number inside the editor.

You can cancel a search in progress by pressing the Cancel button. The Cancel button is displayed only while there is a search still in progress.

You can start a new search at any time by pressing the New Search button. When you press the New Search button, the Search dialog box will return to the initial search arguments page.

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