Search and Replace

Search and Replace helps you find, remove, replace, or re-scale ingredients (or Recipes) within Recipes while you are using the item database.

When you are using the vendor database, Search and Replace enables you to remove items from the vendor item list.

The Replace tool also enables you to select an item, then assign that item to another vendor.

Using Search and Replace

To use this utility, first select an item or subrecipe from the list on the Selection page that is included in a recipe (or another subrecipe). If you are viewing the vendor list, select the name of a vendor.

Click the Search/Replace button. If you are viewing the Item list, the Search/Replace window that appears will display every recipe and subrecipe in which the selected ingredient appears. The selected item will appear in the drop-down list above it.

If you are viewing the Vendor list, the vendor's name will appear in the drop-down list and every item included in the Vendor Item List will appear in the pane below.

Filtering is also available to shorten a long list of entries.

Aside from printing an Item or Recipe List Report  or examining the properties for entries in the large pane the Search and Replace window, you can perform 6 different functions for items, 4 for vendors. See Search and Replace-Toolbar Icons for more information.

Search and Replace-Toolbar Icons

The Search and Replace icons, and a brief explanation of what they do, are listed below. For further information, click the More... link to that topic.

Scale One enables you to isolate all the recipes that contain a particular item and individually change the quantity or unit size of that ingredient in any single recipe you select. This tool comes in handy when your chef orders, say, more oregano in three of the seven recipes that call for it. Note, that none of the other proportions in the recipe are changed except the one you selected. More...

1. 1. Select the recipe ingredient you wish to scale from the Item Selection page by placing a check in the box next to the Item Name. Click the Search and Replace icon.

   2. When the Search and Replace window appears, click to select the single recipe you wish to scale.

   3. Click the Scale One icon on the Search and Replace toolbar.

   4.  Use the Quantity or Unit field to change the ingredient size. In the Quantity field, you can type in any change you want, or use the calculator button to perform any math that needs to be done. In the Unit field, you can change any unit size by selecting from those available in the drop-down list.

   5. Click OK and respond accordingly to the confirmation message that appears.

   6. The ingredient of the selected recipe is then changed to your specifications.

Scale All enables you to change the quantity or unit size of one ingredient that is found in several recipes. Suppose your chef decides to include 50% less salt in his recipes. You can use this tool to change all your recipes at once. More...

1. Select the ingredient you wish to scale from the item list by placing a check in the box next to the Item Name, then click the Search and Replace icon.

2. Click the Scale All icon.

3. FOOD-TRAK will give you the option of scaling each ingredient individually. Click Yes to scale each ingredient individually, or No to scale all the ingredients at once.

1. • If you decide to scale individually, FOOD-TRAK will search your database and display each matching ingredient for changes, on after another. You can adjust the amount of the selected ingredient as you wish from the list of all recipes containing it.

   • If you decide to scale all the ingredients at once, FOOD-TRAK will prompt you for a scale factor.  The default scale factor is 1.000. In our example above, if we wish to remove 50% of the salt from every recipe that contains it, we would change the scale factor to read 0.5. Enter the scale factor into the field of the window that appears and click OK. This scale factor will be applied to each ingredient that matches your search criteria.

Replace One can be used while viewing either the Item or Vendor list. When, on the Item list, a search produces a list of recipes calling for the item in question, Replace One can be used to select one recipe and replace the original item with another. When on the Vendor list, Replace One allows you to assign a single item to another vendor. More...

For Items

1. 1. Select the item you wish to replace from the Item Selection window by placing a check in the box at the left of the Item Name. and click the Search and Replace icon.

   2. When the Search and Replace window appears, the bottom pane will contain all the recipes that contain the selected item. Click the recipe containing the item to be replaced to select it.

   3. Click the Replace One icon. FOOD-TRAK will ask you to confirm your wish to replace this item. Click OK to confirm, or Cancel.

   4. Another window appears asking you to select the item with which to replace the first. Select the item from this list, using Filter as necessary to locate the item. Click the item to select it, then click OK. Note that the recipe containing the new ingredient may disappear from the bottom pane. This is because the recipe no longer contains the ingredient.

For Vendors

1. • Select the name of the vendor from the drop-down list. This will be the vendor to whom the item will be re-assigned.

Replace All exchanges one item in your database, which is used as an ingredient in one or more recipes, with another item. Each recipe is updated, replacing the original item with the new one. This is a convenient tool that is used effectively when operation-wide changes take place in the way a recipe is made. For example, a Chinese restaurant will no longer include MSG in their recipes, but will use salt instead. FOOD-TRAK's Replace All tool will efficiently replace all recipes containing MSG to salt. When used from the Vendor list, Replace All will re-assign everything in the Vendor Item list to another Vendor. This comes in handy if a vendor goes out of business or is bought by another company. The Replace All tool simply transfers all the former vendor's items to the account of your choice. More...

For Items

1. Select the ingredient you wish to replace in recipes from the items list, click the Search and Replace icon.

2. When the Search and Replace window appears, click the Replace all icon. Confirm that you wish to replace all the listed recipes containing the selected item by clicking OK to the message that appears.

3. A new window appears asking you with which item you wish to replace the original. Select the replacement item from the list, using the Filter tool as necessary to shorten the list.

4. Click OK to replace the first ingredient with the newly selected one. Note that the recipes may disappear from the bottom pane. This is because they no longer contain the ingredient that was replaced.

For Vendors

1. From the Vendor Selection list, place a check next to the vendor that you will replace. Click the Search and Replace icon.

2. When the Search and Replace window appears listing all the items listed for that vendor, click the Replace All icon. Confirm you wish to transfer all this vendor's items to another account by clicking OK to the message that appears.

3. When the Replacement window appears, select the new vendor to which you are transferring all the former vendor's items. Click OK.

Remove One searches for an ingredient, and having found the recipes that contain that ingredient, deletes it from a single recipe that contains it. Other recipes are not affected. From the Vendor Selection list, this tool will remove the Vendor reference for a single item. Again, the lists of other vendors will not be affected. More...

For Items

1. From the Item Selection list, select the item to be removed by placing a check in the box next to the Item Name. Click the Search and Replace icon.

2. When the Search and Replace window appears, the recipes using the selected item will be listed in the bottom pane. Click the desired recipe to select it then click the Remove One icon.

3. Confirm that you wish to remove the selected item from the recipe by clicking OK to the message that appears.

For Vendors

1. From the Vendor Selection list, select the vendor whose items you wish to edit by placing a check in the box next to the Vendor Name. Click the Search and Replace icon.

2. When the Search and Replace window appears, the vendor will appear in the drop-down list and the items assigned to him will appear in the bottom pane. Click to select the item you wish to remove from this vendor's item list. If necessary, use the Filter tool to shorten this list.

3. Click Remove One and confirm hat you wish to remove the selected item from the recipe by clicking OK to the message that appears.

Remove All searches for an ingredient, and having found those recipes that contain the ingredient, deletes it from them all. If dealing with vendors, this tool will remove all the items on the Vendor Items list, basically leaving it blank. More...

For Items

1. From the Item Selection page, select the item you wish to remove from all recipes by placing a check in the box next to the Item Name. Click the Search and Replace icon.

2. When the Search and Replace window appears, click the Remove All icon.

3. Click OK on the confirmation message that appears. The item will be removed from all recipes listed on the bottom pane.

For Vendors

1. From the Vendor Selection page, select the vendor, whose items you wish to remove, by placing a check in the box next to the Vendor Name. Click the Search and Replace icon.

2. When the Search and Replace window appears, click the Remove All icon.

3. Click OK on the confirmation message that appears. The items for that vendor will be removed and the bottom pane will be blank.