In text fields you can use the wildcard * before and/or after your search
term.
Numeric Properties
The majority of the fields are numeric properties (melting point etc.).
These do not support the * wildcard but use the Comparison operators
instead. Using these you can search for exact, greater than (or
equal), less than (or equal) and ranges.
Browse Indexes
Most searchable fields have a browse index which you can use if you are not sure of the exact term you want to use. To open the browse index click
to the right of the input box for the field you wish to browse.
By default the index will open at the beginning of the index. You can paginate through the index using the navigation button.
Most indexes are quite large and so you can navigate closer to the term you wish to find by typing the first few characters into the search term box before clicking
.
The index will open on the page on which that search term fragment exists. If the fragment does not exist in the index then it will open on the page where the first characters do exist. e.g. if you type
six into the Chemical Name search field, the browse index will open on the page containing the first instance of a name starting
si, since no names exist starting
six.
Special Properties
Molecular Formula
You can search for a specific formula by typing into the search box or selecting it from the browse dialog.
For example, searching for
Al will find the entry for
Aluminium only as this is the only substance with this exact molecular formula.
You may also use the * wildcard in the same way as other text fields, e.g. searching for Al* will find all substances whose formula begins Al.
However, there are a number of templates available from the browse dialog which extend this functionality and these are described below.
All Elements
Select this to see a list of all individual elements from all of the molecular formulae in the dictionary.
For example, select
Al from this list and your search will include any substance with
Al in its molecular formula.
The element is contained within the pipe
| character in the search box. You can enclose any element, or group of elements, in this character yourself instead of selecting from this list.
For example, type
|AlCu| into the search box to find all compounds with molecular formulae containing
AlxCuy
Only CHX
Use to search to compounds containing common element combinations, e.g.
CH only or all halogenated hydrocarbons
CHX etc.
The selected element combination is added to the search term box surrounded by curly brackets, e.g. {CHX}.
You can enclose any combination of elements, including
X for halogen to create your own template.
For example, type
{CHSi} to find any compound containing only these elements.
Metals/Non-metals
Use to restrict your search to compounds containing/not containing metals only.
Molecular Formula by Element
This is a numerical index of every element in each molecular formula in the database. Use this field so search for compounds containing any number of a certain element or a range.
For example, to search for all compounds containing 20 carbon atoms, select
= from the operator box,
C from the Element Box and type
20 in to the Search Term box.
It is also possible to search for multiple elements and a range of numbers at the same time. Simply add a second Molecular Formula by Element field to the Search form, ensuring that they are next to each other in the search form and set the correct Boolean operator between the two Molecular Formula by Element property fields.
Type of Compound
The Type of Compound Index is arranged in a cascading tree view. Click the
> sign next to the compound class type you wish to view then scroll down the list of available codes and select Add Term.
Type of Organism (DNP, DMNP only)
The Type of Organism Index is arranged in a cascading tree view. Click the
> sign next to the compound class type you wish to view then scroll down the list of available codes and select Add Term.
Clear Searchable Fields
To clear an individual searchable field click
To delete all fields click Clear Properties in the left menu