AdvancedSearch Method

Performs a search based on a specified Microsoft SQL Server search string and returns a **Search**object.

expression.AdvancedSearch(Scope, Filter, SearchSubFolders, Tag)

*expression   * Required. An expression that returns an **Application**object.

Scope   Required String. The scope of the search. For example, the name of a folder. It is recommended that the folder name is enclosed within single quotes. Otherwise, the search might not return correct results if the folder name contains special characters including Unicode characters.

Filter   Optional Variant. The DASL search filter that defines the parameters of the search.

SearchSubFolders   Optional Variant. Determines if the search will include any of the folder's subfolders.

Tag   Optional Variant. The name given as an identifier for the search.

Remarks

You can run multiple searches simultaneously by calling the AdvancedSearch method in successive lines of code. A maximum of 100 simultaneous searches can be performed by using the Microsoft Outlook user interface and the Outlook object model.

The AdvancedSearch method and related features in the Outlook object model do not create a Search Folder that will appear in the Outlook user interface. However, you can use the Save method of the Search object that is returned to create a Search Folder that will appear in the Search Folders list in the Outlook user interface.

Example

The following Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) example searches the Inbox for items with subject equal to Test and displays the names of the senders of the e-mail items returned by the search. The AdvanceSearchComplete event procedure sets the boolean blnSearchComp to True when the the search is complete. This boolean variable is used by the TestAdvancedSearchComplete() procedure to determine when the search is complete. The sample code must be placed in a class module such as ThisOutlookSession, and the TestAdvancedSearchComplete() procedure must be called before the event procedure can be called by Outlook.

Public blnSearchComp As Boolean

Private Sub Application_AdvancedSearchComplete(ByVal SearchObject As Search)
    MsgBox "The AdvancedSearchComplete Event fired"
    blnSearchComp = True
End Sub

Sub TestAdvancedSearchComplete()
    Dim sch As Outlook.Search
    Dim rsts As Outlook.Results
    Dim i As Integer
    blnSearchComp = False
    Const strF As String = "urn:schemas:mailheader:subject = 'Test'"
    Const strS As String = "Inbox"   
    Set sch = Application.AdvancedSearch(strS, strF) 
    While blnSearchComp = False
        DoEvents
    Wend 
    Set rsts = sch.Results
    For i = 1 To rsts.Count
        MsgBox rsts.Item(i).SenderName
    Next
End Sub

The following Microsoft Visual Basic/Visual Basic for Applications example uses the AdvancedSearch method to create a new search. The parameters of the search, as specified by the Filter argument of the AdvancedSearch method, will return all items in the Inbox that have the Subject as 'Test'. The user's Inbox is specified as the scope of the search and the SearchSubFolders property is set to True. The event subroutine occurs when the search has completed and displays the Tag and Scope properties for the new object as well as the results of the search.

Public blnSearchComp As Boolean

Private Sub Application_AdvancedSearchComplete(ByVal SearchObject As Search)
    MsgBox "The AdvancedSearchComplete Event fired for " & SearchObject.Tag & " and the scope was " & SearchObject.Scope
    blnSearchComp = True
End Sub

Sub TestAdvancedSearchComplete()
    Dim objSch As Outlook.Search
    Dim rsts As Outlook.Results
    Dim i As Integer
    blnSearchComp = False
    Const strF1 As String = "urn:schemas:mailheader:subject = 'Test'"
    Const strS1 As String = "Inbox"
    Set objSch = _
        Application.AdvancedSearch(Scope:=strS1, Filter:=strF1, SearchSubFolders:=True, Tag:="SubjectSearch")
    While blnSearchComp = False
        DoEvents
    Wend
    Set rsts = objSch.Results
    For i = 1 To rsts.Count
        MsgBox rsts.Item(i).SenderName
    Next
End Sub

You can also conduct searches on multiple folders simultaneously. The following example searches for all items with the subject "Fiftieth Birthday Party" in the user's Inbox, Calendar, and Tasks folders. Note that you need to use the AdvancedSearchComplete event to determine when the search is complete and work on the results.

Sub SearchForSubject()
'Search for all items with a certain subject
'in multiple folders

    Dim objSch As Outlook.Search
    'Search for items where subject is not an empty string
    Const strFilter As String = _
        "urn:schemas:httpmail:subject = 'Fiftieth Birthday Party'"
    'In the Inbox, Calendar, and Tasks folders
    Const strScope As String = "'Inbox', 'Calendar', 'Tasks'"
    Set objSch = Application.AdvancedSearch(strScope, strFilter)

End Sub

The following is another example that uses the AdvancedSearch method.

Public sch As Outlook.Search

Private Sub Application_AdvancedSearchComplete(ByVal SearchObject As Search)
    Dim rsts As Outlook.Results
    If (SearchObject.Tag = "Search1") Then
        Set rsts = sch.Results
        MsgBox "Search1 returned " & rsts.Count & " items"
    
    End If
End Sub

Sub TestAdvancedSearchComplete()
    Dim rsts As Outlook.Results
    Dim i As Integer
    Const strF As String = "urn:schemas:mailheader:subject = 'Thnx'"
    Const strS As String = "Inbox"
    Set sch = Application.AdvancedSearch(strS, strF, , "Search1")
End Sub

Applies to | Application Object

See Also | AdvancedSearchComplete Event | AdvancedSearchStopped Event | Filter Property | IsSearchSynchronous Method | IsSynchronous Property | Results Collection | Scope Property | Search Object