To find patterns you need to use match or advmatch
Also pay attention the ignorecaseinstringCompares() setting
Advmatch is powerful but slow.
Match can only use ".." or "@" for single character match.
So "ABC123.." would find anything starting with "ABC123.."
If you start playing with advmatch there are some caveats to using it. 
The attached form will help you.

On 5/8/2019 3:53 PM, Steve L wrote:
> Peter, Thanks for your help. It would seem that this too only works if the
> str is an exact match of the element. "ABC123 3/4 Widget" is found but "3/4
> Widget" and ABC123 are not. I'm not sure where to go with this.
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> Peter <peter@removespamwhiteknight.email> wrote:
>> oops, should be
>> var
>>     str          string
>>     smicnt,
>>     smipattern   smallint
>> endVar
>>
>> str = "3/4 Widget"
>>
>> for smiCnt from 1 to ary.size()
>>      smiPattern = str.search(ary[smiCnt])
>>      if smiPattern > 0 then
>>         do something here
>>      endIf
>> endFor
>>
>>
>> Peter
>>
>> On 05/08/2019 06:24 AM, Steve L wrote:
>>> The array search logic basically looks good. One question: what is [smiCnt]in
>>> this line?
>>>
>>> smiPattern = str.search(ary[smiCnt])
>>>
>>> It seems to be undefined and I'm not exactly sure what this is?
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> "Steven Green" <greens@diamondsg.com> wrote:
>>>> a query on a string in the middle of a field is the same slow pattern
> match
>>>
>>>> logic.. the advantage comes if you're going to have multiple results,
> that
>>>
>>>> you can throw into a temp table
>>>>
>>>> "this.." uses the index
>>>> "..this" does not use the index
>>>>
>>>> the "search(this) > 0" logic has strong potential, it might be more
>>>> functional, if you want locate / locate next.. but bottom line, a search
>>> for
>>>> a pattern in the middle of the field is slower cuz it can't use the index..
>>>
>>>> been there, done that, many times
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> Steven Green
>>>> Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
>>>>
>>>> http://www.OasisTradingPost.com
>>>>
>>>> Collectibles and Memorabilia
>>>> Vintage Lego Sets and Parts
>>>> - and Paradox support, too
>>>> "Thies Grimm"  wrote in message news:5cd2659f$1@pnews.thedbcommunity.com...
>>>>
>>>> a query shoulb be very fast
>>>> something like
>>>>
>>>> db.open(myDataBase)
>>>> itemSQL =
>>>>     SQL
>>>>       SELECT myField
>>>>       FROM 'myTable'
>>>>       WHERE myField like '%krit%'
>>>>     endSQL
>>>> itemSQL.executeSQL(db, tc)
>>>>
>>>> Should be very fast
>>>>
>>>> Thies
>>>>
>>>> Am 08.05.2019 um 03:03 schrieb Peter:
>>>>> Maybe this?
>>>>> search()smallint
>>>>> searchEx()longint
>>>>>
>>>>> These return an integer of the first position of a string found.
>>>>>
>>>>> var
>>>>>       str          string
>>>>>       smi,
>>>>>       smipattern   smallint
>>>>> endVar
>>>>>
>>>>> str = "3/4 Widget"
>>>>>
>>>>> for smi from 1 to ary.size()
>>>>>        smiPattern = str.search(ary[smiCnt])
>>>>>        if smiPattern > 0 then
>>>>>           do something here
>>>>>        endIf
>>>>> endFor
>>>>>
>>>>> Peter
>>>>>
>>>>> On 05/07/2019 10:59 AM, Steve L wrote:
>>>>>> Peter <peter@removespamwhiteknight.email> wrote:
>>>>>>> Something like this?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> for smi from 1 to ary.size()
>>>>>>>        if ary[smi] <> pattern then
>>>>>>>           do something here
>>>>>>>        endIf
>>>>>>> endFor
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> OTH
>>>>>>> Searching the table with a tcursor was too slow?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Peter
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 05/07/2019 07:09 AM, Steve L wrote:
>>>>>>>> I have an array of roughly 19000 elements. Is there a way to
search
>>> the
>>>>>> array
>>>>>>>> for in-exact matches much like locatePattern(,)does. Using
>>>>>>>> ar.contains(Element)
>>>>>>>> = True doesn't help if you don't key exactly as the element
is entered.
>>>>>> Searching
>>>>>>>> the table is too slow with that many records.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Steve
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Peter,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks. This logic seems to be the same as Contains which is an exact
>>>
>>>>>> match.
>>>>>> If I have an element, ABC123 3/4 Widget, and am not sure of the part
>>>
>>>>>> number,
>>>>>> ABC123, but want to search on 3/4 Widget using the <> the logic
will
>>> not
>>>>>> find the element because it's not an exact match.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Searching the key field of the table with a Tcursor and locatePattern,
>>>
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> entire string of each record is examined which, with 19,000 records,
>>> is
>>>>>> too
>>>>>> slow for data entry.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Perhaps there is another way to find records using a pattern match
> which
>>>>>> I am not considering?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
> 

advmatchtest.fsl