FreeOffice: Searching with the sidebar is not included in SoftMaker FreeOffice.
In addition to the ribbon command Home | Search described in the section Searching, which starts searching for terms in a text via a dialog box, TextMaker provides another practical option whereby you use the sidebar to search for a specific term in a document.
To do so, you must first enable the sidebar and select the "Search" function in it:
Note: If the sidebar is already enabled, choosing the ribbon command Home | Search (or Ctrl+F) will automatically open the search function in the sidebar. If you choose this command a second time, you will open the search via the dialog box.
| 1. | If the sidebar is not visible, then enable it. You will find the command on the ribbon tab View | group Windows | Sidebars. For more information, see Sidebar. |
| 2. | Then click on the magnifying glass icon  in the small toolbar at the top of the sidebar. This will switch the sidebar to the "Search" function. |
| Here, you will find a search function that is equipped with options similar to the dialog box of the ribbon command Home | Search. |
Enter a search term under Search for and then click on the Search button. There are additional options above this button, which you can set before searching if required. For more information, see Advanced search options.
The Results list shows all hits found in the document, including the text surrounding them. In addition, TextMaker jumps from the text cursor's position to the first occurrence of the search term in the text. If you click on the Search button again, you will reach the next occurrence of the search term.
Tip: Click on a hit in the list to jump to the respective occurrence in the document.
Mini toolbar for navigating between occurrences of the search term
At the bottom of the sidebar, there is also a mini toolbar that allows you to move between the occurrences:
The buttons mean the following (from left to right):
▪jump to the first occurrence in the document
▪jump to the previous occurrence in the document
▪jump to the next occurrence in the document
▪jump to the last occurrence in the document
Opening the dialog box "Search and replace" via the sidebar
The dialog box Search and replace with advanced search options can also be opened directly via the sidebar:
▪The Advanced button at the bottom of the sidebar opens the dialog box Search and replace. For more information, see Search.
| Alternatively: Choose the ribbon command Home | Search (or Ctrl+F) again. |
▪If you click on the Replace button to the right, you will reach the "Replace" tab of this dialog box directly, similar to the ribbon command Home | Replace (or Ctrl+H). For more information, see Replace.
Disabling search via the sidebar
You have to disable the sidebar if you want the the dialog box Search and replace, rather than the sidebar, to be displayed directly when you choose the ribbon command Home | Search (or Ctrl+F).
This can be done on the ribbon tab View | group Windows | Sidebars 
by clicking on the small arrow of the icon and disabling the option Show sidebars.