Full text search across all the members, like ISPF SrchFor utility does

[radecek9787]

When working with a green screen, I often need to search for a specific string across all members within a specified data set or HLQ. I use ISPF Search-For utility to do that job. It can be found in ISPF =p.3.14. The output of the utility lists all the members and occurrences where the searched string was found.

I am missing this functionality in Zowe Explorer. With that, it would be possible to search for any string within each member so I would not need to switch over to the green screen.

[jelaplan]

Totally awesome idea. See #172

[cybersorcerer]

Huy guys, this is really awesome. Please provide a ISPF like searchfor.

[jellypuno]

Is it possible to trigger the searchFor through TSO or SSH commands? I'm just curious because I know only how to do through a program.

[cybersorcerer]

@jellypuno

1. If a z/OS customer has a license for IBM Developer Z Enterprise or IBM Dependency Based Build (DBB) you could use the IBM Z Open Automation Utility Command dgrep thru ssh directly or the zowe cli like this:

zowe uss issue ssh dgrep pattern dsnpattern

This will search the specified pattern in all dsns matching dsnpattern. Output goes to stdout.
You could also use something like

ssh user@host 'dgrep pattern dsnpattern'

2. There is the ISRSUPC Utility which can be used thru IBM ZOAU mvscmd or jcl like this:

   // JOB
   //SEARCH EXEC PGM=ISRSUPC,PARM=('SRCHCMP,ANYC')
   //STEPLIB DD DSN=ISPF330.LOAD,DISP=SHR
   //NEWDD DD DSN=USERID.PDS,DISP=SHR
   // DD DSN=USERID.PDS2,DISP=SHR
   //OUTDD DD SYSOUT=*
   //SYSIN DD *
   SRCHFOR 'NEEDLE',W,10:20
   /*
   //

This is documented in the ISPF users Guide Volume II, here is the link https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/2.4.0?topic=reference-superc-search-technical-overview

greetings

Ronny

[JillieBeanSim]

This enhancement has had no activity for 12 months. The issue also has less than 10 up-votes by the community. No action on this enhancement is targeted for the next 2 calendar quarters. Therefore, this enhancement is being closed. If you feel that this enhancement should continue to be available for community up-votes, you may reopen this issue.

[traeok]

Reopening as this feature was requested recently in #2592

[github-actions]

Thank you for raising this enhancement request.
The community has 90 days to vote on it.
If the enhancement receives at least 10 upvotes, it is added to our development backlog.
If it receives fewer votes, the issue is closed.

[adam-wolfe]

To avoid having to download the full contents of all members, we could consider using the search=<string> query parameter listed here. We would have to perform the search on every member, but I assume that this way would perform better than transferring everything.

The CLI squad is looking at a similar enhancement, but for searching through job spool files instead of PDS members. It may make sense for the CLI squad to look into searching for a string in PDS members in 24PI2.