Displaying search results

After the Search is completed, ELAN displays the following search results:

Figure 7.5. Search results

Search results


The search history

When performing multiple search actions one after another, a search history is created. With this feature it becomes possible to browse through all the entered queries:

  1. Enter a query and click OK to activate it.

  2. Click on the New Query icon

  3. Enter another query and choose OK

  4. Now you can use the back and forward icons to browse through the search history.

Figure 7.6. Search history

Search history


Note

When closing the search dialog, the query history is removed. If nonetheless you want to save a certain search command, have a look at the section called “Saving and loading queries”.

Refining a search

After a search operation, one can perform another search within the results of the previous action. To achieve this, select Search on current result from the Query menu in the Search dialog window. This will get you the following window:

Figure 7.7. Refining a search

Refining a search


By specifying extra search constraints, you can narrow down the results. This is similar to the addition of an extra search constraint.

Saving and loading queries

When using complex queries, or one is repeating the same search on annotation files, it is convenient to reuse a query. This is possible in ELAN thanks to the save and load query functionality.

Saving a query

  1. Specify a query in the search dialog

  2. Either choose Query > Save or click on the save icon in the toolbar.

  3. Enter a filename for the active query.

  4. Choose save.

Figure 7.8. Saving a query

Saving a query


Loading a query

  1. Either choose Query > Open or click on the Open icon in the toolbar.

  2. Select an existing query from the file dialog.

  3. Choose Open.

Exporting the search results

To export the results of a query to a tab-separated file, go through these steps:

  1. In the query dialog, select Query > Export matches

  2. Specify a file name

  3. Click on save

An exported file looks as follows:

Figure 7.9. Exported search results

Exported search results


If you right click in the table containing the search results, a popup menu appears. Tick the checkboxes to show or hide columns that are related to the found annotations. In the same popup menu you will find the option Export Table as tab-delimited text, which literally saves the displayed result table to a text file, as shown in the example below.

Figure 7.10. Export search results

Export search results


Search and replace

ELAN offers the possibility to replace all of the found search results. Choose Edit > Replace in the Search Dialog:

Figure 7.11. Search and replace

Search and replace


Then enter the text that should replace the found results and choose OK