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# Globally search ALM data

Using Quality Insight > Global Search, you can search for data across modules on one or multiple projects. The modules include Defects, Requirements, Test Plan, Test Lab, and Analysis.

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## Search ALM data using Global Search

Follow the steps below to search ALM data using Global Search.

To globally search ALM data:

1. Prerequisite: Install and enable Quality Insight. For details, see Install and configure Quality Insight.

2. Open Global Search.

   Choose one of the following options:

   - On the Application Lifecycle Management Options window, click the Quality Insight (Global Search included) link. In the ALM Login window, enter user name and password. In the Quality Insight page, click the Global Search tab.

   - In the ALM window, select one of the following modules: Defects, Requirements, Test Plan, Test Lab, or Analysis. On the module's toolbar, click Global Search .

3. Search for ALM data.

   1. Select the projects for inclusion in your search results.

   2. Enter your search criteria.
   3. To limit your search to a specific area of ALM, define filters.

   For details about Global Search tips, see Global Search tips.

4. View search results.

   1. Hover over a search result to view a preview on the right-hand side of the window.

   2. Click a search result link to view the entity from ALM.

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## Global Search tips

You can use symbols and operators to refine your search query.

Symbols

Symbol | How to use it
--- | ---
? | Add a question mark as a placeholder for a single character. Example: The query BU? returns items such as BUG, BUS, BUY etc.
* | Add an asterisk as a placeholder for any unknown or wildcard terms. Example: The query AL* returns items such as ALM, Alert, All, etc.
" " | Add quotation marks to search for an exact phrase. Example: The query "flight reservation" returns items that contain the exact phrase.

Search Operators

Operator | How to use it
--- | ---
NOT / - / ! | The term following the NOT / - / ! operator will be excluded from the results. Example: `flight reservation NOT bug` (The NOT operator must be in capital letters.) or `flight reservation -bug` or `flight reservation !bug` The query returns items that contain flight or reservation but excludes items that contain the word bug.
OR / space char / || | Use the OR operator between two words to search for content that contains either word. Example: `flight OR reservation` (The OR operator must be in capital letters.) or `flight reservation` or `flight || reservation`
AND / && | Use AND to search for results that include all terms. Note that the AND operator must be in capital letters. Example: `qc AND alm` (The AND operator must be in capital letters.) or `qc && alm` The query returns all items that contain both the word qc and the word alm.
Grouping | Use parentheses to group search terms in clauses. This can be very useful if you want to control the Boolean logic for a query. Example: `(mercury OR tours) AND reservation` or `(mercury tours) && reservation` The query returns items that contain mercury or tours, and include reservation.
< | To search for values less than the value specified. Used only with numeric values. Example: `X<1`
> | To search for values greater than the value specified. Used only with numeric values. Example: `X>1`
Escaping Special Characters | Global Search supports escaping special characters that are part of the query syntax. The special characters are + - && || ! ( ) { } [ ] ^ " ~ * ? : \ To escape a character use a backslash “\” before the character. Example: To search for (1+1):2, type `\(1\+1\)\:2`.

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See also:

- Quality Insight
- Manage KPI cards in Executive Dashboard (tech preview)

https://admhelp.microfocus.com ALM 8942
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