Use search

When you make a search, you enter search criteria in a text field or in a free text fields. Search operators can be typed with small letters, capital letters, or a mix.


Search operators

Operator Name Used where? Description
* Wild card

Free text fields and text fields

Replaces one or more characters.

Example

If you type:

  • day* – the search finds documents where a word in a text field or in a free text field starts with day. For example, daylight.

  • *day* – the search finds documents where a word in a text field or in a free text field contains day. For example, nowadays.

  • *day – the search finds documents where a word in a text field or in a free text field ends with day. For example, birthday.

Note: Using prefixed wild cards is not recommended in free text searches, for example *day and *day*. This type of search can generate numerous search results and take very long time to perform.
? Question mark

Free text fields

Replaces exactly one character.

Example: If you type Pe?ersen in the  Free text field of the Add/Remove Parties dialog box, the search finds all parties with the name Petersen or Pedersen but not Pettersen.
^ Hat (circumflex)

Text fields

Disregards casing.

Example: Text field Title

If you type ^*sun*, the search finds documents where a word in the Title field contains sun, for example, Sunday and sunlight.

|

OR

 OR

Free text fields:

|and OR

 

Text fields:

|

Searches for items where one or more of the entered words occur.

A free text search for documents will search in fields and in the document itself.

Example: Find all documents where at least one of the words currency or exchange occur by typing currency OR exchange.

&

AND

 AND

Free text fields:

& and AND

 

Text fields:

(except for "Case title")

Searches for items where all entered words occur.

Example: Find all documents where the words currency and exchange occur by typing currency AND exchange (the words may exist as document properties or as indexed free text).

Tip: If you want to search for the character &, not as an operator but, for example, as part of a contact, insert a backslash in front of the character, \&. That is, if you want to find Liebestraum, Immergut  & Co, type Liebestraum, Immergut \& Co.

~

NOT

 

NOT

Free text fields

Text fields:

NOT

Searches for items where words you type after the operator do not occur.

Example: Find all documents where interest but not bank occur by typing interest NOT bank.

Tip: Always search for an item containing this but not that. That is, searching for only NOT bank will not return any results.


Multiple words or sentences

You can type one or more words in the search field:

  • If you type one word, search results will contain this word.
  • If you type multiple words, search results will contain exactly these words. For example, a sentence without operators: Does surface activity of the sun influence our climate.
  • If you do not know the exact wording, it is recommended that you search for single words combined with search operators.
Example: If you type a combination of words that does not exist in the database (for example, Does surface activit* of the sun influence our climate) there will be no search results. The chances of finding the needed information are greater, if you only type the key words (for example, surface activity* AND sun*).