Search Cells

This article provides information on the following topics:

Note: The Actions Quick Reference provides a complete list of actions that you can print for easy reference.

What is the Search Cells Action?

The Search Cells Action searches target cells in an Excel workbook.

Creating a Search Cells Action

Drag and drop the Selector onto the Targets list in the target workbook to display the available target options. Continue to drag the Selector to the Cell option, expanding the available Cell Options . Choose the desired cell option:

  • Current Cell - Performs the action to the active cell in the workbook
  • Exact Cell - Performs the action to a cell specified by the user
  • Cell Range - Performs the action to a defined range of cells
  • Named Range - Performs the action to a named range within the workbook

Note: An Exact Cell can also be accessed by targeting it directly. For more information about modifying a target cell, read the Understanding Excel Targets section of the Understanding Targets article.

If this is the first time the workbook was targeted, Nintex RPA will attempt to create a workbook connection automatically. (For more information about Microsoft Excel workbook connections, read the Excel Connections article.)

A preview of the target cell is displayed along with a button that allows you to modify the cell to target , per the Cell Options (above).

Select the SearchCells Action from the Actions list.

Select the Rules to change the Connection for this Action. Timing settings for this action may be configured to fine tune the how the Action will run.

Note: For more information about Timing and Error settings, read the Action Builder article.

Specify the type of search you would like to perform. The following search options are available:

  • Search for the cell Text - Search the text visible in the cell
  • Search for the raw value - Search the real value of the cell as displayed in Excel formula bar

From the second drop-down, select the search operator . The following options are available:

equal to

not equal to

containing

not containing

less than

less than or equal to

greater than

greater than or equal to

beginning with

ending with

not beginning with

not ending with

is numeric*

is not numeric*

is date*

is not date*

is blank*

is not blank*

is formula*

is not formula*

is an error

is not an error*

*If one of these items are selected, you will not be required to enter a search value.

Enter the value to search .

Specify how the search will be performed. Start by selecting the search direction:

  • Search forward - search forward through the target cells
  • Search backward - start backward through the target cells

From the second drop-down, select the starting location of the search:

  • Start at the first cell - start at the first cell in the target range (this option is only available if searching in the forward direction)
  • Start at the last cell - start at the last cell in the target range (this option is only available if searching in the backward direction)
  • Start at the active cell - start at the active cell and search forward or backward (depending on the direction chosen)

From the third drop-down, select what should be selected upon running the search:

  • Select the first matching cell - replace the current selection with first matching cell
  • Select all matching cells - replace the current selection with all matching cells
  • Keep original selection and active matching cell- make no changes to the current selection and simply activate the first matching cells
  • Make no change - make no changes to the current selection (this option allows you to store the Results of the search without making changes to the current selection)

To perform a case sensitive search, enable the option that reads Must match case.

You may also specify to Ignore beginning and ending spaces .

Certain operators will enable a new option to Ignore empty cells when conducting the search.

You can optionally select how the results are stored.  The following results can be stored:

  • Search success - stores a True or False indicating if a search result was found.  When using this option, click on the ellipsesbutton to select the destination of the search result
  • Matching cell count - stores the total number of cells matching the search criteria. When using this option, click on the ellipsesbutton to select the destination of the matching cell count

Optionally add Notes to the Action to document any special instructions or functionality. When the Run Switchis set to Run, the action will be executed after clicking OK.

Note: The run switch is set to Run by default. To create or modify this action without executing it, click the slider to change the option to Don't Run.  For more information, see Action Builder.

Click the OK button to save the Action.