How to search and filter data in tables

Allie Cliffe
  • Updated

Learn how to search within a single table or between all tables in a workspace. You can filter results based on search criteria and save filtered results as a set for analysis. 

Select and hide columns

If you just want to select specific columns or hide columns, click the gear icon at the top right of the table. You'll see a popup where you can choose what columns of metadata to show. You can even choose to save this view; it's especially useful for collaborators working in the same workspace.
Search-and-filter-data_Screenshot-of-save-column-selection.png

Search within a workspace table

Faster searching for exact terms in large tablesFor large tables, using the default search across the entire table may be slow. If you know the exact term you are searching for, we recommend using search by column

Default search ("AND")

To filter for rows that include all terms:

1. Use the search field at the top right of the table.
Search-and-filter-data_Screenshot-highlighting-search-tables-field.png

2. Enter search terms separated by a space.

3. Click the blue search icon.

Advanced search ("OR")

To filter for rows that include any of the specified terms:

1. Select Advanced search at the top right of the table.

2. Click the OR (rows with any term) radio button.

Search-and-filter-data_Screenshot-highlighting-advanced-search-in-a-table.png

3. Enter search terms separated by a space.

4. Click the blue magnifying glass search icon.

What to expect

The search will process immediately and Terra will return only the rows that include all search terms

To clear search results

Click the "x" icon in the search field.
Search-data-table_Cancel-search_Screen_shot.png

Search all tables in a workspace

1. Use the search field above the table names on the top left.
Search-and-filter-data_Screenshot-highlighting-search-all-tables-field.png

2. Enter search terms separated by a space.

3. Click the blue magnifying glass search icon.

The default search mode is "AND"

What to expect

While Terra searches across all tables in the workspace, you'll see a spinner in the tables column. 

When the search is complete, you'll see a green oval next to each table with the number of rows that contain all search terms

Click on a table to view the filtered results.

Screen-capture-of-searching-multiple-tables.gif

To clear search results

Click the "x" icon in the search field.
Search-and-filter_Screenshot-highlighting-clear-search-icon.png

Filter by column value

Separating out specific rows by a specific value in a column can be useful for quickly generating subsets when working with large datasets. 

1. Click the three dot action icon to the right of the column name. 

Screenshot of sample_id column of sample table with the three dot action icon clicked and the dropdown options to sort by ascending or descending order and a field to fill in to filter with an exact field match

2. Enter a filter term in the field with the magnifying glass icon. Note that the filter must be an exact match (including capitalization). 

3. Terra will return rows with an exact match for the filter. You will see a breadcrumb at the top of the column that shows the filter applied to the table. 

Screenshot of 'filtered by' breadcrumbs beneath the column header of a sample table with an x beside it to return to the main, unfiltered view

To return to the main view

Click the x in the circle beside the "filtered by" condition.

Save filtered results as a set

Once you complete a search, you may want to save the results -  e.g., if you want to analyze just those entities. 

1. Click the checkbox at the top left of the table.

2. Select Filtered from the menu.
Search-and-filter-data_Screenshot-of-selecting-filtered-data.png

3. Click Edit (pencil icon) above the table.

4. Select Save section as set. 
Search-and-filter-data_Screenshot-of-saving-selected-ddata-as-a-set.png

 

Was this article helpful?

0 out of 0 found this helpful

Have more questions? Submit a request

Comments

0 comments

Please sign in to leave a comment.