Simply searching for a single search string can yield irrelevant instances. You can narrow your search by using a advanced search form.
The types of advanced searches are:
Proximity searches - searching for
Boolean searches - searching for two or more search strings simultaneously
Searching for a particular search string near some other text string is often helpful. The other text string (the nearby string) limits your searches to places where the nearby string occurs. By narrowing a search in this way, you are more likely to find exactly what you want.
The query keywords of proximity searches (proximity keywords) include:
Within, word, words
Use within and word or words, along with an integer, to indicate the maximum number of words that can separate your search string from your anchor string.
after, before, or of
Use after, before, or of to indicate the relative order between your search string and your anchor string. These 3 keywords are mutually exclusive; you can use only one at a time.
search-str within x {word | words} {after | before | of} nearby-str
The parts of this syntax statement are described in the following table.
This... | Designates... |
|---|---|
search-str | A search string (word or phrase, optionally including punctuation marks) |
within | A proximity search is being requested |
x | An integer to indicate the degree of proximity (maximum number of words) |
“word” or “words” | That proximity is measured in terms of words (word and words are interchangable) |
after | That each search occurrence must appear after the nearby string |
before | That each search occurrence must appear before the nearby string |
of | That a search occurrence can appear either before or after the nearby string |
nearby-str | The text string (word or phrase) that must be within 20 words of any instance of the search string to qualify that instance as a legitimate search result |
 | Note: A proximity search highlights the search string only, not the nearby string. |
... within 1 word ... |
This snippet of proximity expression indicates that the search string must be within one word of the nearby string.
... within 2 words ... |
This snippet of proximity expression indicates that the search string must be within two words of the nearby string.
jill within 1 word after jack |
This example searches for the search word “jack” following within 1 word of the nearby word “jill”. Among the possible search occurrences are:
jack and jill jack loves jill! |
jill within 1 word before jack |
This example searches for the word “jack” followed within 1 word by the nearby word “jill”. Among the possible search occurrences are:
jill and jack jill loathes jack! jack fell down within 6 words before jill came tumbling |
This example searches for the phrase, “jack fell down” occurring six words or less before the nearby phrase, “jill came tumbling”. Among the possible search occurrences are:
jack fell down and broke his crown and jill came tumbling after; jack fell down, and clumsy jill came tumbling after. |
jack within 2 words of jill |
This example searches for all cases where the string “jack” occurs anywhere within the specified number of words (2 words) of the nearby word “jill”. Among the possible search occurrences are:
jack loves jill! jill really loathes jack! |
Click on the search panel, and in the panel:
Specify the search string followed by a space.
inflation
Specify within, the word or words, followed by a space.
...within 9 words
Specify the relative position you want between this and the next string by entering one of the following: before, after, or of followed by a space
. . . of
Specify the nearby string.
. . . interest rate*
The resulting search query is:
inflation within 9 words of interest rate*
Since we don't need to specify more search parameters, we can end the proximity search phrase here.
Click on the Search button
Boolean searches enable you to broaden or narrow a search by searching simultaneously on two or more search strings. The query keywords of boolean searches (boolean keywords) include: or, and, and not.
Use or or and and, optionally, not to specify a relationship between search strings. The keywords or and and are mutually exclusive; you can use only one at a time.
search-str1 {and | or} [not]
search-str2 [ {and | or} [not]
search-str3 ... ]
|
The parts of this syntax statement are described in Table 3.
This... | Designates... |
|---|---|
search-str1 | Your first search string |
search-str2 | Your second search string |
search-str3 | Your third search string (and so forth) |
or | An or search, in which you simultaneously look for every occurrence of search-str1 or search-str2 [or search-str3, and so on] |
and | An and search, in which you look for clustered occurrences of search-str1 and search-str2 [and search-str3, and so on] within 20 words of each other. |
not | A negation of a query keyword of a search string, when used in a legal search expression |
unicycle or tricycle or bicycle |
This example searches for the next occurrence of the word “unicycle”, “tricycle”, or “bicycle”. Every occurrence of each word qualifies as a search hit. For example:
As a toddler, I rode a tricycle. At seven, I got a bicycle, though I longed for a unicycle -- not a bicycle. But now I'm seventy-seven: too old for unicycles; too old for bicycles. That's why I'm riding a tricycle today! downhill ski or cross-country ski |
This example searches for the next occurrence of the phrase “downhill ski” or “cross-country ski”. Every occurrence of each phrase qualifies as a search hit.
thermos and hot coffee |
This example searches for any occurrences of “thermos” and “hot coffee” that are within 20 words of each other.
thermos and hot coffee and picnic |
This example searches for any occurrence of “thermos”, “hot coffee”, and “picnic” that is within 20 words of either of the other search words.
The not keyword can be used with and and or to negate the word that follows it. For example, the boolean search:
cross country and not ski |
might be used to find occurrences of cross country that refer to long-distance running without finding references to skiing.
Click on the search panel, and in the panel:
Specify the first search string followed by a space
cross?country
Specify the Boolean relationship you want between this string and the next string by entering one of the following: orandor not, and not followed by a space
. . . and not
Specify the next search string, followed by a space
. . . downhill
The resulting search query is:
cross?country and not downhill
Click on the Search button.
The basic order of operations of DynaText search expressions is essentially the same as the order of arithmetical operations. Sub-expressions are interpreted in sequence from left to right.
As in arithmetic, parentheses ( ) can be used in query expressions control the order in which the system interprets sub-expressions. You should use parentheses as needed to remove any ambiguity in an expression's apparent meaning.
The following two expressions are equivalent:
search and language or query (search and language) or query |
The following two expressions have different meanings:
search and language or query search and (language or query) |