Find and Replace is available on Level 2 and higher programs.

Find and Replace can be used to search and replace a value on the Main Invoice Screen.  It is reached by selecting GO TO and FIND AND REPLACE from the Menu Bar.  The following screen appers:

At the top of the Find and Replace dialog box, type in a search word or phrase in the "Find " blank.

More information on other parts of the dialog box are described below:

Select one of the Following Fields

Below the "Find " blank are a list of fields which are found on the Main Invoice Screen.  Place a checkmark beside the field that you wish to be searched.  (Note that in Find and Replace only one field can be searched.)  For instance, let's say you are looking for an invoice with a billing name of "Main Street Sporting Goods." To do the search, you would enter "Main Street Sporting Goods" in the "Find" blank and place a checkmark beside "Billing Name."  AnyOrder would then attempt to find invoices with a billing name of "Main Street Sporting Goods."

Replace With

Below the list of fields is a blank to enter the replacement value.  For instance, let's say that "Main Street Sporting Goods" has changed its name to "Main Street Bicycles." To make the change, you would type in "Main Street Bicycles" in the "Replace With" blank.  (Note that if, for some reason, you want to replace a field with a blank, type in three carrots: ^^^).

Let's discuss why you might change a billing name.  If you have an account for Main Street Sporting Goods and send them regular statements, and they do not have a customer number, then you'll need to update any invoices over the last year to the new name.  (If they have a customer number, it's just a matter of making the name change in the Customer Number Database.)  But if they don't have a number and you're billing them, the Billing Statement feature depends on the spelling of billing name to group their invoices together for billing purposes.  The Find and Replace feature allows you to change the name so they are exactly the same.   (For step by step directions on how to do this see: Making Sure Customer Names are the Same.

Extra Box: Replace Billing Address & Shipping Address

If you need to replace a street address (or shipping address) along with a name change, check the "Extra" box, middle, right of the dialog box.  As soon as you check this box, the address fields will be activated.

Normally, you don't have to worry about address changes.  When a business changes an address, you just issue all future invoices with the new address.  But if you've sent off two or three invoices to an old business address, and they are returned in the mail because of a incorrect address, you can use the "Extra" box of "Find and Replace" to make corrections.  To do so, enter the billing name in the "Find" blank, place a checkmark in the "Extra" box, and enter the new address in the "Bill To" blanks.  Once the address is changed on the problem invoices, you can re-print and re-send them.

Note:  You will need to enter a value in the "Replace With" field.  When the "Replace With" field is blank, AnyOrder will trigger a message.  Even if you use "Extra" fields, you still need to enter a replacement.  For example, if you are searching for a billing and will be replacing it with the same billing name, type in the billing name here -- even if you have a billing name entered in the "Bill-to" blank.

You can also use the "Extra" box to find a customer number and replace a billing name (without replacing the customer number).  This might be used if you have a customer with a number and their name is spelled differently on some invoices.  Note that as long as the customer has a number, then it's not absolutely necessary to make the names the same.  But, for good record keeping, it's helpful to have the same spelling on invoices.  This feature, thus, is available should you wish to use it.

To change name (but not the customer number), enter the customer number in the "Find" blank and place a checkmark beside "Customer Number."  Leave "Replace With" empty.  Then place a checkmark in the "Extra" box, and type in the billing name as it should appear in the "Bill To" blank.  When Find and Replace is used, only the billing name will be replaced.

If you want to replace one of the address lines with a blank, type in three carrots (^^^).  If you don't use three carrots, the field will retain its original value.

You can also replace the customer number and billing group number.  Be sure to replace both numbers.  That's important.  If you are making replacements to a customer for which you have assigned different customer numbers for different shipping addresses, make sure the customer number that you use matches the shipping name and address.  That means you will need to examine each invoice before making the replacement.

Word Match Conditions

You can tell AnyOrder whether you want to search for an "Exact Word Match" or  "Partial Word Match." If you choose "Exact Word Match," AnyOrder will look at the full value of the field and determine whether it matches your search word.  For example, if your search word is "Main Street Sporting Goods," AnyOrder will find only those invoices with "Main Street Sporting Goods."

We recommend that you use exact word matches and replace the entire field.  It's a little safer this way, and you can better track the changes as they are being made.

However, if desired, you can choose "Partial Word Match," AnyOrder will look for the first occurrence of your search word whether or not is a part of larger word.  For example, if your search word is "town,"  AnyOrder will find "town," "Jamestown," "Townhall", "Downtown," etc.

When AnyOrder does replacements for partial word matches, it will replace the partial word only, not the entire word or phrase.

You need to use caution when doing partial word replacements.  For example let's say you do a partial word search for a billing name, and you have "Town" in the "Find" blank and "Home" in the "Replace With" blank.  AnyOrder will find "Down Town Books" and replace it with "Home Town Books."  But it will also find "Jamestown Supplies" and replace it with "JamesHome Supplies."

Since AnyOrder finds the first occurrence of a partial word search, only the first occurrence will be replaced.  If you need to replace a second occurrence, use "Exact Word" match.

Normally when AnyOrder does replacements for partial word matches, it will replace the partial word only.  There is, however, a procedure you can follow if you need to do a partial word search, but need to replace the entire field.  This is only available for billing or shipping names (or address) replacements.  The way it is done is to search for the partial word in the billing name.  Don't enter anything in "Replace With." Place a checkmark in the "Extra" box, and type in the full name in the "Bill To" or "Ship To" blank.  By using the Extra box, the full field will be replaced rather than the partial word.

The default word match condition is "Exact Word Match."

Case Conditions

You can also tell AnyOrder whether you want to search for "Any Case" or "Match Case.  If you choose "Any Case," AnyOrder will look for your search word or phrase without regard to its case.  For example, if your search word is "Barnes," AnyOrder will find "BARNES" or "BARnes" or "barnes."

If you select "Match Case," then AnyOrder will find only those invoices which match the case of your search word letter for letter.  For example, if your search word is "Barnes," AnyOrder will find only those invoices with "Barnes."

When it comes to making the replacement, AnyOrder will use the case of the word(s) as you have typed it in the "Replace With" blank. Any Case and Match Case have no bearing on the case of the replacement word(s).

The default search case condition is "Any Case."

Find and Replace Process

When you click on "Find," the first match will be found.  If the proper invoice has been located, click on "Replace."  The replaced value will be shown in the dialog box (and on the Main Invoice Screen). If the replacement is not correct, click on "Undo."  If the replacement is correct, click on "Find" to find the next invoice.

You can continue clicking "Find" and then "Replace."  After three times, the "Replace and Find Next" button is enabled.  This allows you to make the replacement and immediately find the next match.  After two more replacements, the "Replace All" button is enabled.  This enables you to make replacements for all matching values in the invoice file.

The reason for this cautious approach in regard to the "Replace and Find Next" and "Replace All" buttons has to due with the sensitive nature of database files.  The database files in AnyOrder often contain hundreds of invoices, and these files can quickly become disordered from an indiscriminate use of Find and Replace.  Thus, starting slowly is a way of assuring that the proper replacements are being made.  As a precaution, if you use "Replace All," it's a good idea to make a separate back-up of your files.  There's no "Undo" associated with "Replace All."  If something goes wrong and you have the files backed up, you can easily restore your files to their original state.

Make Replacements in Inventory Files and Balance Files

If you have changed a catalog number by using Find and Replace, you'll also need to make the change in the inventory files.  For example, you may decide to put your products in categories.  That will entail a catalog number change if you haven't used categories previously.  To obtain accurate inventory counts, you'll need change the catalog number on all invoices, and you'll need to change the catalog number in all inventory files.  (Note this is not necessary if you do not use the inventory portion of the program.)

You can change the catalog number manually in the Inventory Files, but Find and Replace includes a feature whereby this can be done automatically. To do so, click on the "Inventory File" button.  AnyOrder will ask you to enter the old catalog number and the new catalog number.  If desired, at the same time the catalog number is being replaced, you can also replace the name of the product.  When you click on "Make Replacements," AnyOrder will locate each of your inventory files and change the catalog number on all of them.

For more information on making changes to catalog numbers, see: Changing Catalog Numbers.

It's rare to change a customer's name on every invoice.  Usually, you'll just change it for the most recent billing period.  However, if you do change a customer's name on all invoices, and you send out billing statements to that customer, you'll need to make a similar change on all balance files.  Click on "Balance File."  AnyOrder will ask you to enter the old billing name and the new billing name.  If desired, at the same time you change a name, you can also change the customer number and billing group number.  When you click on "Make Replacements," AnyOrder will locate each of your balance files and change the name on all of them.

For more information on making changes to customer names, see: Customer Names.