View source for General Search

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<!-- This page is transcluded into other pages. Changes here may be reflected on these other pages. -->{{BigThumb|Search1.png|General Search}}
The [[General Search]] is as much a place to access information about items in the game as it is to configure the [[Toolbar]]. It has its own settings and bookmarks to make finding things as convenient as possible. Every item in the game displays a page of information related to that item. Icons on the information page can be double-clicked ({{Key|lmb}}{{Key|lmb}}) to show information about the item represented by the icon. This can be very useful for finding the resources needed to craft components.


The in-game description: "''Blocks and items can be dragged to the toolbar. This includes all large blocks and any small blocks or items that are in the character's inventory. See block and item tooltips for additional controls.''"<noinclude>


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==Settings==
{{BigThumb|Search2.png|Advanced Tooltips}}
{{Justify|The General Search has two settings that can be changed by clicking the settings tab. 

The first option, "Only Show Available", hides locked items. This reduces the items shown to only those that are unlocked and available to use. This can make finding them easier but it also makes learning how to unlock specific items a little more difficult. Enabling this option is recommended for more experienced players or players who are confused by locked items.

The second option, "Show Advanced Tooltips", shows additional information at the bottom of item tooltips. This information can be useful when using search [[General_Search#Prefixes|prefixes]] or for modders who want to see the ID's of items.}}


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==Toolbar Interaction==
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==Searching==
{{Justify|The General Search can find and display all ''Item'' types in the game and blocks. This includes all inventory items like [[:Category:Consumables|consumables]], [[:Category:Tools and Weapons|tools and weapons]], [[:Category:Large Blocks|large blocks]], [[:Category:Small Blocks|small blocks]], and [[:Category:Research and Quests/Schematics|Schematics]].}}


===How to Search===
{{Justify|Search for items by typing in the search box at the top. The default search mode is ''Split String'', meaning that the search will "''split the search term into smaller strings, using the space character as the separator''." In this search you can type in multiple words and the search will return all items that contain the words in any order. This is a type of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approximate_string_matching ''fuzzy search''] that makes it easy to find specific things if you only remember part of the name. See [[General_Search#Prefixes|Prefixes]] for more search options. The results are sorted by into groups by special categories. This keeps like items together. e.g. if your search includes stairs, all of the stairs will be sorted together.

The in-game description: "''Enter search parameters into the box at the top of the screen to to find blocks and items in the game. Click the advanced search tab on the right for a list of search parameters.''"}}


===Prefixes===
{{BigThumb|Search3.png|Advanced Search Help}}
<div style="text-align: justify;">A prefix is a special character at the beginning of a search string that changes the way the search finds results. The following list provides more information about how the prefixes modify the search. See the [[Keen:Search_Conditions#Search_Conditions|Search Conditions modding guide]] for technical details and for creating custom prefixes.


;Single String<nowiki>:</nowiki> %
: Unlike Split String, this prefix uses the whole search term to find the matching definitions. This means that in order to be a valid match, the name must include the whole search term.


;Category<nowiki>:</nowiki> $
: This uses the categories mentioned earlier. Searching by the name of a category like "Stairs" will return all of the items in that category as results. There isn't currently a way to see categories in in-game but they are located in sbc files in <code>/MedievalEngineers/Content/Data/Search/Categories</code>. Like most things in Medieval Engineers search categories are moddable.


;Tag<nowiki>:</nowiki> #
: Tag prefix allows you to search for items based on their Tags.


;Block<nowiki>:</nowiki> =
: As the name already suggests, this prefix can only be used to search for blocks. It tries to match the search term against small or large. If neither of the sizes is specified, all blocks are considered valid.


;ObjectBuilderType<nowiki>:</nowiki> ~
: This is a very straightforward, and mostly technical search prefix. If checks the definition type to see if it includes the search term. This search is used almost exclusively by modders.


;Mod<nowiki>:</nowiki> @
: The mod prefix is currently the only search prefix that does not provide any meaningful results without mods. Once there are mods present, it will check the name of the mod where the definition comes from, to see whether or not it includes the search term.


;Usage<nowiki>:</nowiki> !
: The usage of this prefix is the most complex search prefix, simply due to returning a large number of items that might not seem connected at first glance. First, this prefix matches items that include the search term in their name. Then it returns all items and blocks that are built or crafted from the items that match the prefix. A prime example might be a search for "!Timber" which would return every item that can be crafted from timbers.</div>


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===Search Limitations===
{{Justify|These limitations are mainly due to the information available and items that are hidden behind research and search settings.

The in-game desciption: "''Not all blocks and items are available in every game mode. In survival mode, many blocks and items are unknown to the character until they have been learned through research.

Search limitations can be disabled in the settings tab to the right by unchecking "Only Show Available". Doing this is a good way to learn about blocks and items that are not yet known by the character.''"}}


===Bookmarks===
{{BigThumb|Search4.png|Bookmarks}}
{{Justify|Bookmarks are nothing more than saved search strings. If you find that you use the same search often you may want to make a bookmark to avoid typing it.

The in-game description: "''Search bookmarks are on the left side of the screen and they can be customized.
Create a new bookmark by searching for what you want and then clicking the + below the last bookmark. Give it a name and click OK.

Shift+Click on bookmarks to delete them.

Restore the default bookmarks by clicking the ? button, clicking the settings tab on the right side of the screen, and clicking the "Restore Bookmarks" button.''"

Bookmarks are stored inside the world save folder. If you join a multiplayer game, a save folder will be created just for the bookmarks. This means you can overwrite your bookmarks in one save with the bookmarks from another just by copying a file.}}


[[Category:Engineer%27s_Book]]
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