Power Search Activity

This activity checks if values are present in a DataTable. It returns a Boolean and multiple dictionaries. A boolean variable is True when all values are present and if not, the following dictionaries are created: Present Values, Missing Values, Rest Values.

How does it work?

You have to provide two objects:

a) a DataTable in which you have to find values

b) Dictionary with key as String (column name) and value as an array of strings (values which you are looking for)

As a result you can obtain the following output dictionaries:

a) Present dictionary – contains columns with the names and values you were looking for – the matched values.

b) Missing dictionary – contains the names of the columns and values which are missing.

c) Leftovers dictionary – contains the names of the columns and rest values except those which were missing or you were looking for.

d) Find confirmation dictionary – contains the names of columns and True or False values – True when all values from the array were found and False if any of it were missing.

Example:

DT:

Numbers, Cities, Countries, Elements

23, Szczecin, Poland, Iron

8987, Berlin, Germany, Polon

34, Prague, Czech, Hydrogen

231, New York, USA, Oxygen

11, Moscow, Russia, Mercury

1515, Shanghai, China, Chlorine

125, Tokyo, Japan, Iridium

Here are the data which we are looking for:

Numbers:  23, 34, 11

Cities: Berlin, Tokyo

Elements: Mercury, Iron, Oxygen

Here is how our query dictionary is looking like:

Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", string[3] { "23", "34", "11" } }, { "Cities", string[2] { "Berlin", "Tokyo" } }, { "Elements", string[3] { "Mercury", "Iron", "oxygen" } } }

And here are our results:

a) Present dictionary (Present_dictionary)

Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", string[3] { "23", "34", "11" } }, { "Cities", string[2] { "Berlin", "Tokyo" } }, { "Elements", string[3] { "Mercury", "Iron", "Oxygen" } } }

b) Missing dictionary (Missing_dictionary)

Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", string[0] { } }, { "Cities", string[0] { } }, { "Elements", string[0] { } } }

c) Leftovers dictionary (Leftover_dictionary)

Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", string[4] { "8987", "231", "1515", "125" } }, { "Cities", string[5] { "Szczecin", "Prague", "New York", "Moscow", "Shanghai" } }, { "Elements", string[4] { "Polon", "Hydrogen", "Chlorine", "iridium" } } }

d) Find confirmation dictionary (Found_dictionary)

Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", true }, { "Cities", true }, { "Elements", true } }

If we would modify our query with some values which are not in table:

Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", string[3] { "23", "34", "16" } }, { "Cities", string[2] { "Warsaw"__, "Tokyo" } }, { "Elements", string[3] { "Mercury", "Iron", "Oxygen" } } }

Then in b and c, we will get:

B’) Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", string[1] { "16" } }, { "Cities", string[1] { "Warsaw" } }, { "Elements", string[0] { } } }

C’)  Dictionary(3) { { "Numbers", false }, { "Cities", false }, { "Elements", true } }

The step by step manual is available in the documentation in "Powersearch - one-page manual how to use"

The fastest and easiest way to check if the columns in DataTables contain the values which you are looking for. If any of them are not present you will obtain the exact list of missing items.