Using the Advanced Search
Overview
How do I perform an advanced search?
 Step 1 - Select by
 Step 2- Restrict to
 Step 3- Search on
 Step 4- Search for
What if I don't know exactly what I am search for?
Reusing your search
Managing the results of your search
Scrolling through the results set
Viewing Product Information on a product returned in the results set
What if no results are returned from my search?
Displaying a whole brand or catagory
Problems with Advanced Search
Search criteria is not refreshing correctly
 
Overview

FABcat's Advanced Search provides you with the ability to perform brand and category specific searches based on either a keyword, Acco Product Code and (when logged on using a customer specific login) your own product code.

 

To perform an Advanced search simply carry out the following instructions.
1. Select the advanced search option from the menu bar at the top of the screen. (See below)

2. Once you are in the Advanced search screen take a minute to read the help text which clearly explains the steps involved and the options available to you.
How do I perform an Advanced Search?
The advanced search consists of 4 steps:
Step 1: From the drop down box you can specify if you would like to search a specific brand or category for a particular product or search the whole database. Simply click on the box and select the option that applys to your search. (See left).
Tip: By specifying that you would for example like only to search the Rexel Brand for a Stapler, you will be improving the speed and efficiency of the search and increasing the chances of finding the exact product that you are looking for first time round.
Step 2: Once you have selected either "All", "Brand" or "Category" from the Search for box, you will notice that when click on the second box (to the right of the first box), all of the brands or categories that are currently available are listed (depending on the option selected in step 1). Simply select the brand or category that you would like to restrict your search to from the list. (See Right).

Step 3: As with the quick search, the third step allows you to specify if you would like to search either by keyword(s), an Acco Product Code or (when using customer specific

login) your own product code. As with steps 1 and 2, simply select the option that you require from the list box. (See above right).

 

Step 4: The final step requires you to type into the fourth box exactly what you are search for. For example if you selected the option to search using a keyword in step three, but entering 'stapler' in to the last box and selecting 'Go' will return all products with the word 'stapler' in the product description. (See Below).

Alternatively, if you selected to option to search by either an Acco or your own code, by typing in '00050' FABcat would return all of the products with a matching product code.
What if I don't know exactly what I am search for?

Tip: If you are not sure of the exact product code or name you can type in part codes or descriptions and FABcat will return any like matches.

For example if you were search for a product and you knew that the Acco Code contained '00099', by typing the part code in to the last box, click 'Go' and FABcat will return all products that contain '00099' in it's product code. Give it a try!
 
Reusing your last search
Hint: The advanced search will always remember what you last search for whilst you are logged on to FABcat, making life easier for you when performing similar searches.
 
Managing the Results of your search
Once you have clicked 'Go' and submitted your search, FABcat will return a list of results 10 at a time. The results table displays the following information:
  • Acco Code (Acco Uk's product code)
  • Your Code (When logged on using a customer specific account this will display the customers product code)
  • Description (A short description of the product)
  • Brand (The brand of the product i.e. Rexel, Sasco or Gravis)
Scrolling through the results set
To scroll through the result set use the 'back' and 'next' buttons that are appropriately displayed below the results table. (See Below).
 
Hint: The results page displays the total number of matches found for a search and the position of the records that are currenlty displayed on the screen. (i.e. 11 - 20 of 217 records)
 
Viewing product information on a product returned in the results set.
By simply clicking on a product returned in the results list you can view all of the information held in the FABcat database on that product.
 
What if no results are returned from my search?
Tip: Try broadening you search by performing a part code or part word search.
 
Displaying a whole Brand or Category
To display all the products in a specific brand or category, simply chose either the brand or category that you required, then leave the 'Search For' box blank. Then click 'Go'. FABcat will now list all of the product in the Brand or Category that you specified in the results table.
 
Problems with Advanced Search
Search criteria is not refreshing correctly
There is a know problem with IE3.0 browser software and onwards. This problem is that if you perform an Advanced Search and restrict your search by either a specific Brand or Category, then if you use your browsers' 'BACK' button then FABcat's 'restrict to:' box will not refresh properly.
Solution:
If you encounter this error then simply select the 'REFRESH' option in your browser. Also try to avoid using your browsers' 'BACK' option in the Results screen and use the 'Back to Advanced Search' Button in this screen.