Nopali is divided into different components, the major division being 'patient' centered data and 'office' centered data. The division is conceptualized in the toolbar by a divider between the two groups:

To the left of the division are placed the 'patient' focused toolbar items (the exception being the calendar view) and to the right, the 'office' focused toolbar items, most which have folders integrated into the icon.
The Patient Search Drawer is the main area where you will perform the bulk of your searches. It is presented to you whenever you click on a 'patient' view or the scheduler:

Using this search interface, you may generate a list of patient charts in the table based on the search criteria used. The top button titled 'Last Name' can be clicked to select from a variety search criteria. Typing letters into the text field just below the button will start a search. Searches may also be fine-tuned to show patients of particular doctors.
Once a search is completed, a list of patient charts is presented in the table. To go to a chart, just click on a row in the table. The main window will then reflect the current selected chart.
Of note, the default behavior is to perform a search after typing each letter in the criteria field. With huge databases or slow networks, this may seem sluggish and you may want to toggle the 'Search Only After Pressing Return' option.
The Office Search Drawer is used to fine-tune office search results. They may vary slightly between different office views, but there are some elements in common:

The elements of the office search drawer are generally self explanatory. Making a change in one of the elements will be reflected in what is displayed in the main window.