How do I Search through the Messages?

<< Back to Mail Tool Tutorial Homepage

Tutorial Information

Searching messages is an important task if you wish to find a particular message. WebCT offers a very comprehensive search tool for finding mail messages. You can search mail messages by:

• first or last name of the message writer
• user ID of the message writer
• subject
• unique message number
• date that the message was sent
• content of the message
• When you are finished searching your messages, you can compile and download them.

You can view the tutorial in two other ways. The Adobe Acrobat Format allows you print out the tutorial with page breaks in appropriate places. The Movie Format allows you view actual screen shots and mouse movements in much more dynamic fashion. Below are the links to the tutorial information in other formats:

Adobe Acrobat Format
Movie Format (5:39 Min.)

Searching Mail Messages

1. From the Mail or Mail Messages screen, click Search. (See Fig. S1-1)



2. The Search Mail screen appears. (See Fig. S1-2)



3. Choose your search parameters (See Fig. S1-3):

1. From the Search drop-down list select one of the following:
   • To search all messages, select All.
   • To search only messages you have not read, select Unread.
2. From the Folder drop-down list, select the folder to search.
3. From the Criteria drop-down list, select the filter:
• None = no filter
• Name = full name of the message writer
• User ID = user name of the message writer
• Subject = the message subject
• Message No = the unique message number associated with each message
• Date = the date that the message was sent
• Message = any of the words in the text of the mail message

4. From the Comparison drop-down list, select how the information entered in the Value text box will be compared with the filter (See Fig. S1-4):

• Contains = retrieves messages that match any part of the text or numbers entered in the Value text box
• Equals = retrieves messages that match exactly the text or numbers entered in the Value text box
• Before = in combination with the Date or Number filter, retrieves all messages before the date or number entered in the Value text box. In combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message) retrieves all messages containing letters that occur alphabetically before the word entered in the Value text box.
• After = in combination with the Date or Number filter, retrieves all messages after the date or number entered in the Value text box. In combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message), retrieves all messages containing letters that occur alphabetically after the word entered in the Value text box.
• Starts with = in combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message) retrieves messages with words that begin with the letter entered in the Value text box.
• Ends with = in combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message) retrieves words that end with the letter entered in the Value text box.

5. In the Value text box, type the words or numbers to be searched. Note: If you have selected the Date filter, type the date in the format dd,mm,yyyy. Include the commas. (See Fig. S1-5)



6. When you click the Search button, the mail messages that meet the criteria will appear in the mail messages window. (See Fig. S1-6)




Taken with permission from St. Petersburg College