At its simplest, a query can be just a word or a phrase.
But with the tips on this page, you can expand the focus of your query to give
you more complete results. These tips will get you started with basic query language
and acquaint you with the full power of Microsoft Index Server.
Look for words with the same prefix. For example, in your query form type
key* to find key, keying, keyhole, keyboard,
and so on.
Search for all forms of a word. For example, in the form type sink**
to find sink, sinking, sank, and sunk.
Search with the keyword NEAR, rather than AND, for words close
to each other. For example, both of these queries, system and manager and
system near manager, look for the words system and manager
on the same page. But with NEAR, the returned pages are ranked in order
of proximity: The closer together the words are, the higher the rank of that page.
Refine your queries with the AND NOT keywords to exclude certain text
from your search. For example, if you want to find all instances of surfing
but not the Net, write the following query:
surfing AND NOT the Net
Add the OR keyword to find all instances of either one word or another,
for example:
Abbott OR Costello
This query finds all pages that mention Abbott or Costello or both.
Put quotation marks around keywords if you want Index Server to take them
literally. For instance, if you type the following query:
"system near manager"
Index Server will literally look for the complete phrase system near manager.
But if you type the same query without the quotation marks:
system near manager
Index Server searches all documents for the words system and
manager.
Use Free Text Queries if you want to enter queries using natural language. Index Server will examine
your query, extract nouns and noun phrases and construct a query for you. With
free text queries you can enter any text you want, from a proper question, to
a string of words and phrases, without worrying about the query language. For
example, if you type in the following query:
"How do I use the Index Server administration snap-in?"
Index Server will create a query for you automatically and begin the search. Note
that when you're using free text queries, the regular query language features
are disabled and keywords such as AND, OR, and NEAR are interpreted
as normal words.
Tips for Searching