Search for data items

Use the Search tool to search any specified Data Archive server or PI AF server for data items. You can insert data items into your worksheet and later reference these data items in PI DataLink functions. You can also insert a data item directly into a function task pane.

1. Connect to any Data Archive server or PI AF server that you want to search. See Manage connections to servers.

2. Open the Search tool:

   • To insert one or more items into a worksheet, select the upper leftmost cell of the range in the worksheet where you want to insert the data items, and then on the PI DataLink tab, in the Search group, click Search.

   • To insert one or more items into a function task pane, click the button next to the Data item(s) field.

3. Set the search scope, shown in the path at the top.

   Upon first use, the tool starts at the Home node, which shows all the Data Archive servers (indicated by ) and PI AF servers (indicated by ) listed in Connection Manager. You must limit the search to a single Data Archive server or single PI AF server, and can limit the search further to a single database on a PI AF server, and then to specific elements and parent attributes.

   Upon subsequent uses, the tool starts each session with the search scope set to the last Data Archive server, PI AF server, or PI AF database that you searched.

   You can:

   • Use the browse pane to limit the search

   • Use the scope path to limit the search

     If you set the search scope to an element or attribute, the results pane lists that element's or attribute's immediate child attributes.

4. As necessary, search for data items in the scope to list in the results pane.

   1. In the field at the top of the tool, type text that identifies data items you want to find in the selected scope.

      You can use wildcard characters to augment your search. For example:

      • Type sinusoid to find all data items named sinusoid.

      • Type sinusoid* to find any data items that start with "sinusoid" such as sinusoid or sinusoidu.

      • Type *u to find any data items that end with "u" such as sinusoidu.

      • Type * to find all data items.

   2. If your search scope is a Data Archive server, set the lists and fields under Filters to specify any additional criteria the retrieved PI points must match.

      The Quick Filters list at the upper-right corner of the pane contains predefined common searches. You can select a predefined search, and the Search tool automatically populates the lists and fields for that search.

      The pane has six lists that contain built-in and system-assigned point attributes, attributes from the base and classic point classes, and virtual attributes for the point value, time stamp, and status (Is good). Select an attribute from a list and specify criteria for that attribute. You can enter wildcard characters; the search does not add any implicit wildcard characters.

      The final list contains point types. Select the type of stored value you want to find.

      For example, select Descriptor and then enter *vapor* to return only PI points that contain the word vapor anywhere in the descriptor point attribute

      For more information about PI point attributes, see the PI Server topic Point classes and attributes.

   3. Select Search  to initiate the search.

      The tool searches within the specified scope for data items that match the text you typed and returns the found data items in the results pane. The tool searches the entire hierarchy below the search scope. (In contrast, when you browse the hierarchy, the results pane only shows the immediate child attributes of the search scope.) The tool finds:

      • PI points with names that match.

      • PI AF attributes with names that match.

      • PI AF attributes with descriptions that match (if you are using PI AF Server 2015 or later)

      • PI AF attributes that have parent elements with names, descriptions, categories, or templates that match.

   Note: Searches of Data Archive return no more than 100,000 PI points. To be certain that you see all results, constrain your search to return fewer PI points.

5. If desired, change columns displayed in the results pane:

   • Right-click the results pane, and then select a column name to add it or clear it from the displayed columns.

   • Drag column headers to change the order of the displayed columns.

6. If desired, move the Data item length slider to split the path of the data item between the Root path and Data item columns:

   • Select Full path to specify a full path in the Data item column.

   • Select Name only to specify only the attribute or point name in the Data item column, with the rest of the path in the Root path column.

   • Select intermediate positions for other content splits between the columns.

   The content of these columns determines the content added to the task-pane fields or the worksheet columns.

7. If inserting PI AF attributes into the worksheet and you split the data-item content, specify how to insert the Root path content into the worksheet:

   • Select Drop-down list to insert a drop-down list of paths (from the Root path column) followed by the data items (from the Data item column) into the designated worksheet cells.

     If you reference the inserted drop-down list and data items in a PI DataLink function, the worksheet will dynamically update the retrieved values when you select a different path in the list.

     Note: PI DataLink inserts the list of root paths in column ALL of your worksheet. If that column contains data, PI DataLink inserts the paths in the next available column to the right.

   • Select Column or row to insert the content from the Root path and Data item columns into the designated worksheet cells.

     In this case, PI DataLink always inserts the Root path content in the first worksheet column and the Data item content in the second worksheet column.

8. Select the items that you want to insert and select OK.

See also

Create an asset-relative display