Search Introduction

Search Preferences

Quick Search

Advanced Search

Help Pages Search

Getting Started with Queries

Search Service

Introduction

The Search Service enables you to query and retrieve specific information existing in the Interest Groups. This information will be displayed according to your Search Preferences, which should be set prior to accessing the Service.

Moreover, the Search Service provides the Help service with a dedicated search facility (see Help Pages Search section below).

Click on the "SEARCH" button to access the Interest Group Search Service. A separate browser window will automatically open that will provide you access to the Search Interface.

The search database is informed about new or deleted documents after each re-indexing which takes place automatically every night. So, for example, if a new document has been uploaded and a re-indexing has not been executed yet, the newly uploaded document will not appear in the "What's new" table. If a document has been removed (deleted), it will appear in the "What's new" until the next re-indexing is performed.

Search Preferences

Press the "Preferences" button to configure your Search Preferences. The available configuration options are:

  1. "View Results in Mode": Options available include All, Compact Description, Compact and Long Description. Select the Mode in which you wish the results to be presented. "Compact" will display only the titles of the results. "Compact Description" will complement the compact view with the first lines of the summary of the document. "Long Description" will display for each result the most important attributes of the document (such as the language, size, type, keywords, classification) and a short summary. "All" will display all attributes currently associated with the document.


  2. "Sort Results By": Options available include: Newest, Alphabetically, Oldest, Category and Reverse Alpha. "Oldest" or "Newest" apply on the modification date. "Alphabetically" or "Reverse Alpha" apply on title. "Category" applies on the classification of the document.


  3. "Maximum Results per Page": Select here the maximum number of results to be displayed per page. If there are more results, you will be given the choice to navigate through a number of pages.


  4. Press the "Save" button to apply and set the above values as your default search preferences. They will be used every time you access the Search Service. You may also modify them in the Interest Group User Preferences window.


  5. Press the "Apply" button to use the values entered above without setting them as default. Those values will be used and kept in memory only during this search session.


  6. Press the "Close Window" button to return to the Search window.

Quick Search

1. Select the "Quick Search" button (default), to search for Library and Information documents, and for Newsgroups articles, that match your search criteria. For the documents in the IG library, search criteria will be tested upon the content as well as the attributes of the document.

2. From the given drop-down menu, select the language of the documents that the search will be done. Available language options are:

  • Choice of a specific ISO Language: Search will be performed in Information pages, Events, Newsgroups, content and metadata of Library documents, in the selected language. Also non-linguistic Information pages as well as content and metadata (all translations) of non-linguistic Library documents will be searched.
  • Non Linguistic: Search will be performed in non-linguistic Information pages, content and metadata (all translations) of non-linguistic Library documents.
  • All Languages: Search will be performed in all data, metadata and attributes stored in the services.

3. Configure your Search Preferences if not already done.

4. Provide the search argument at the Search for documents containing field.

5. Press the "Search" button to trigger the search process.

The System will return the list of items that match your Search Argument. Click to access any of the items returned by the Search.

Advanced Search

1. Click the "Advanced Search" button .

2. From the given drop-down menu, select the language of the documents, i.e. on which linguistic version of the documents data and attributes the search will be done. Available language options are: All ISO Languages, All Languages and Non-Linguistic. The functionality of this menu is the same as in the "Simple Search".

3. Select the classification of the documents. You may choose up to 4 different classifications. The "Search" will be performed on these services. The documents will be searched in all the classifications selected. The search can be made only in the current logical CIRCA instance shown in the textfield. To select a classification, select the Interest Group name and then the service(s) in which you want to perform the search.
The listed classifications are only those accessible to you. You may need to reload the whole page to update those pop-ups if you change your preferred language, when a new Interest Group is created or if your access rights are modified during your search.

4. Use the or buttons to extent or restrict the "Search" options to more than one Interest Group Services

5. Complete your query: You may specify up to 8 different query rules. Each rule is a combination of a "field", an "operator" and a "matching text". When more than one rule is specified, you may choose to match them all or only some of them by selecting the appropriate combination below the form. The default rule is non-restrictive, meaning that if the matching text is left blank it will match all documents.

  • Fields: The available fields are All Fields, Full Text Search, Author, Description, Keywords, Modification Date, Size, Title, Type and Your own Query


  • Operators: The available operators are: contains, doesn't contain, ends with, has substring, is, starts with.


  • Case sensitivity: The case of the text given in the field is critical for the case sensitivity of the search. If all the characters in the text are in lower case then the search is case insensitive. If at least one character is in upper case, then the search is case sensitive.


  • Field explanation per service: The fields provided for building a search query have special meanings that depend on the service. The association of each field for every service is listed below.


  • Library: The items found in the library service can be documents or sections.
    • The "Full Text Search" field represents the actual content of the library document. It can be used to search in a configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first three (3) text pages. This is searched and the results are weighted for improved efficiency.
      Note the following limitations:
      1. Words up to three characters are not searchable.
      2. A text that appears in 50% or more in the stored document content is considered too common and will not return any results. (This also refers to the configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first 3 text pages.)
    • The "Author" field represents the author of the library document.
    • The "Description" field represents the main theme of the library item.
    • The "Keywords" field represents the keywords of the library item. This field has no meaning in case of a section.
    • The "modification date" field represents the last time the library item was modified. The matching text in that case must be typed in a numeric date format: dd/mm/yyyy (values in the range 01/01/1901 - 31/12/2037).
    • The "size field" represents the size of the library item measured in bytes. This field has no meaning in case of a section.
    • The "title" field represents the title of the library item.
    • The "type" field represents the mime type of the library item. This field has the value �section� in case of a section. Some frequently used mime types are:
      • Applications
        Mime TypeFile Extensions
        application/msworddoc
        application/pdfpdf
        application/postscriptai,eps,ps
        application/winhlphlp
        application/x-excelxls,xlc,xll,xlm,xlw
        application/x-msaccessmdb
        application/x-msmoneymny
        application/x-mspublisherpub
        application/x-msschedulescd
        application/vnd.ms-powerpointppt,pps,pot
        application/x-javascriptjs
        application/vnd.ms-projectmpp
        application/zipzip

      • Audio
        Mime TypeFile Extensions
        audio/basicau,snd
        audio/midimidi,mid
        audio/x-wavwav
        audio/x-pn-realaudiora,ram

      • Image
        Mime TypeFile Extensions
        image/gifgif
        image/jpegjpeg,jpg,jpe,jfif,pjpeg,pjp
        image/tifftiff,tif
        image/bmpbmp

      • Text
        Mime TypeFile Extensions
        text/htmlhtm,html
        text/plaintxt

      • Video
        Mime TypeFile Extensions
        video/mpegmpeg,mpg,mpe,mpv,vbs,mpegv
        video/x-mpeg2mpv2,mp2v
        video/msvideoavi
        video/quicktimeqt,mov,moov

  • Events: The items found in the Events service are meetings and events.
    • The "Full Text Search" field represents the actual content of the library document. It can be used to search in a configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first three (3) text pages. This is searched and the results are weighted for improved efficiency.
      Note the following limitations:
      1. Words up to three characters are not searchable.
      2. A text that appears in 50% or more in the stored document content is considered too common and will not return any results. (This also refers to the configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first 3 text pages.)
    • The "Author" field represents the contact user of the meeting/event.
    • The "Description" field represents the main theme of the meeting/event.
    • The "Keywords" field represents the events of the meeting/event.
    • The "modification date" field represents the time the meeting/event takes place (format: dd/mm/yyyy, values in the range 01/01/1901 - 31/12/2037).
    • The "size" field has no meaning in the Events service.
    • The "title" field represents the title of the meeting/event.
    • The type "field" represents the status of the meeting/event. This field has the values meetings/PUBLIC or meetings/PRIVATE either if the meeting/event has been characterized Public or Private.
      Hint: The purpose of this 'Meetings' field is informative.

  • Newsgroups: The items found in the newsgroup service are newsgroup articles.
    • The "Full Text Search" field represents the actual content of the library document. It can be used to search in a configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first three (3) text pages. This is searched and the results are weighted for improved efficiency.
      Note the following limitations:
      1. Words up to three characters are not searchable.
      2. A text that appears in 50% or more in the stored document content is considered too common and will not return any results. (This also refers to the configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first 3 text pages.)
    • The "Author" field represents the user who sends the article.
    • The "Keywords" field has no meaning in the newsgroup service.
    • The "modification" date field represents the time the article was sent. The matching text in that case must be typed in numeric date format: dd/mm/yyyy (values in the range 01/01/1901 - 31/12/2037).
    • The "size" field represents the size of the article measured in bytes.
    • The "title" field represents the subject of the article.

  • Information: The items found in the information service are information items.
    • The "Full Text Search" field represents the actual content of the library document. It can be used to search in a configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first three (3) text pages. This is searched and the results are weighted for improved efficiency.
      Note the following limitations:
      1. Words up to three characters are not searchable.
      2. A text that appears in 50% or more in the stored document content is considered too common and will not return any results. (This also refers to the configurable amount of the document content which by default is approximately the first 3 text pages.)
    • The "Author" field represents the author of the document.
    • The "Keywords" field represents the keywords of the information item.
    • The "modification" date field represents the last time the information item was modified. The matching text in that case must be typed in numeric date format: dd/mm/yyyy (values in the range 01/01/1901 - 31/12/2037).
    • The "size" field represents the size of the information item measured in bytes.
    • The "title" field represents the title of the information item.
    • The "type" field represents the mime type of the information item.

6. Press the "Search" button to launch the search process.

The System will return the list of items that match your Search Argument. Click to access any of the items returned by the Search.

Help Pages Search

1. Click the "Help Pages Search" button .

2. From the given drop-down menu, select the language of the documents, i.e. on which linguistic version of the help pages the search will be done. Available language options are: All Languages, choice of English, French, German. The functionality of this menu is the same as in the "Simple Search".

3. Configure your Search Preferences if not already done.

4. Provide the search argument at the Search for help pages containing field.

5. Press the "Search" button to trigger the search process.

The System will return the list of search pages that match your Search Argument. Click to access any of the pages returned by the Search.

Getting Started with Queries

The Query Language of the Search service consists of operators and modifiers. Both operators and modifiers represent the logic to be applied to the search elements in a search request. So, the seach request defines the criteria a document must meet to be retrieved.

Operators are special words, which indicate the search rule. You can search for any of the words or phrases in the text of the document or you can search for values in the field attributes associated with your documents. You use operators in your queries to search for:

  • Word combinations


  • Expansions of words to lists of related words


  • A specific field value or a range of field values


To use the word combination operators, select a Field type or "Any Field". Then select a query operator and enter the first word or phrase to the text field. Click on the "Add" button to add a new query. Repeat the above procedure as desired. Any query term can be deleted by clicking on the delete button on the left. Finally, an option is provided for matching all the query terms or anyone among them.

For more fine tuned queries, you can select the "Your own query" option as a field, and the "is" operator and express your query in the text field. The Search Engine will search for both the preceding and following word or phrase according to the operator rule. These operators can be combined in a single query line or in different query lines which can be added by clicking on the "add" button

Field Operators

  • <CONTAINS> must contain the token entered.

    The CONTAINS operator is word-oriented, it looks for documents where one or more of the words in the field are the same as in the query. "Words" are strings of characters, which are separated by white space. The wildcards * and ? can be used with CONTAINS. This operator does not recognize non-alphanumeric characters. It interprets non-alphanumeric characters as a space and treats the separated values as individual units.

    For example, if you have defined a slash (/) as a valid character, and you enter search criteria that include this character, as in OS/2, "OS" and "2" are treated as individual units.

    Example: Title <CONTAINS> mytitl*

    Wrong example: Title <CONTAINS> (mytitl* <OR> anothertitle)

    Rather, you must use: (Title <CONTAINS> mytitl*) <OR> (Title <CONTAINS> anothertitle)

  • <MATCHES> matches a character string exactly.

    Unlike the CONTAINS operator, the search criteria you specify with a MATCHES operator must match the field value exactly for a document to be selected. With the MATCHES operator, any occurrence of a search string that appears as a portion of a value is not selected; only values matching the entire search string are selected. You can use question marks (?) to represent individual variable characters within a string, and asterisks (*) to match multiple variable characters within a string.

    Example: Title <MATCHES> mytitl*

  • <SUBSTRING>can match the string anywhere.

    <SUBSTRING> is usually better than <CONTAINS> because it is significantly faster. This is due to the fact that <CONTAINS> requires that the search engine converts each field to remove punctuation before the search even begins. Secondly, <SUBSTRING> allows you to actually match punctuation in a field query.

    The SUBSTRING operator is character-oriented, it simply checks for the presence of the string specified, without taking into account word boundaries. It does not take wild cards, * and ?. SUBSTRING is the operator to use if you want to, for example, find all the documents whose URL's are in the mysite.com domain. You just do "URL <SUBSTRING> mysite.com".

    Example: Title <SUBSTRING> mytitl

    Wrong example: Title <SUBSTRING> mytitl*

  • <STARTS> must start with the entered value

    Example: AUTHOR <STARTS> Joh

    Wrong example: AUTHOR <STARTS> Joh*

  • <ENDS> must end with the entered value

    The syntax for ENDS is the same as that for MATCHES and STARTS.

    Example: "CREATED(dd/mm/yyy)" <ENDS> 98

  • <EQUALS>Selects documents whose document field values are exactly the same as the search string you specify. Equals does not accept wildcards

  • <NOT EQUALS>Selects documents whose document field values are not the same as the search string you specify. It does not accept wildcard

  • <GREATER THAN> Selects documents whose document field values are greater than the search string you specify

  • <GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO>Selects documents whose document field values are greater than or equal to the search string you specify

  • <LESS THAN>Selects documents whose document field values are less than the search string you specify

  • <LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO>Selects documents whose document field values are less than or equal to the search string you specify

    Search Engine's default search value for fields is <CONTAINS>. If you are looking for a field containing your value (and the field may have anything else in addition) you don't have to enter an operator.

    Using Wildcard Special Characters

    You can use the following wildcard characters to represent variable portions of search strings with the WILDCARD operator.

    • "?" Specifies one of any alphanumeric character, as in ?an, which locates "ran," "pan," "can," and "ban."


    • "*" Specifies zero or more of any alphanumeric character, as in corp*, which locates "corporate," "corporation," "corporal," and "corpulent."

    The wildcard characters listed above are interpreted as wildcard characters, not literal characters, unless they are delimited by a backslash (\). If you want a wildcard character to be interpreted as a literal in a wildcard string, you must precede the character with a backslash. For example, to match the literal asterisk (*) in a wildcard string, you delimit the character as for example: a\*

    The following non-alphanumeric characters perform special, internal functions, and by default are not treated as literals in a wildcard string:

    • comma ,
    • left and right parentheses ( )
    • double quotation mark "
    • backslash \
    • at sign @
    • left curly brace {
    • left bracket [
    • less than sign ?
    • back quote `

    To interpret special characters as literals, you must surround the whole wildcard string in back quotes (`). For example, to search for the wildcard string "a{b", you surround the string with back quotes, as for example `a{b`. To search for a wildcard string that includes the literal back quote character (`), you must use two back quotes together and surround the whole wildcard string in back quotes (`), as follows:

    Example: `*n``t`

    Typing your own query

    In order to type your own query you must select the "Your own query" field and the "is" query operator. You may also use the <CASE> modifier for case sensitivity. You may use more than one of these operators in a query. Most operators require that you place angle brackets ( < > ) around the operator to clearly distinguish its meaning. Default operators and modifiers do not require that you add angle brackets; <AND> and <OR> are assumed to be operators and <NOT> is assumed to be a modifier when used.

    We recommend keeping your operator combinations fairly simple. Simple combinations produce more predictable results, and ensure that the Search Engine will be able to read the combinations.

    Example: rapid <OR> alert
    Retrieves documents containing the phrase "rapid" or the word "alert".

    Example: rapid <AND> alert
    Searches for documents containing "rapid" and the phrase "alert".

    Example: rapid <AND> <NOT> alert
    Retrieves documents with "rapid" excluding any which also contain "alert".

    Here are some examples of operator combinations:

    Example: dark <AND> dangerous <AND> deadly
    Retrieves documents with all three words.

    Note that it is generally easier to use the comma between search words if any one of them should be considered a match. Queries automatically search for any word occurrence when the words are separated by commas. Mutual <OR> Recognition <OR> Application collects the same documents as mutual, recognition, application, but document scores can differ when more evidence exists. Modifiers modify the operator search rule, generally adding an additional level of detail. Use them to increase the accuracy of your queries.

    <CASE> find exact upper/lowercase spelling as entered in the query

    <MANY> count occurrences of this word or phrase in a document, and assign a slightly higher score for more occurrences based on the density of the document

    <NOT> exclude documents with this word, phrase, or value (the <NOT> modifier will also retrieve all documents that do not contain the search value)

    You can use <CASE> with single words (with or without a word operator) or for fixed field values if the field accepts upper and/or lowercase letters combined. <MANY> can apply to single words and to phrases. <NOT> applies to any word, phrase or topic.

    Example: <CASE> Japan
    Retrieves documents with the word spelled "Japan".

    Example: <MANY> wall street
    Assigns slightly higher scores to documents using the phrase "wall street" many times

    <contains> <starts> <ends> <matches> <not> (PATTERN MATCHING) Special Operator