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--- wiki:search [2026/02/10 15:43] – bobbyk
+++ wiki:search [2026/02/18 15:13] (current) – [Grouping search] bobbyk
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
-\[from dokuwiki.org @ 25-08-20\] {{ :wiki:search-box.png?300|}}
+{{ :wiki:search-box.png?300|}}
 A search can be started from any page, using the Search box in upper right of each page.
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ### Phrase search ("")
-You can search for exact phrases by putting double quotes around a set of words, e.g. ''\[ "Cornell Law Review" \]''. {{ :wiki:search-box.png?300|}}
+You can search for exact phrases by putting double quotes around a set of words, e.g. ''\[ "Cornell Law Review" \]''.
+{{:wiki:searchsample\_1.jpg?400|}}
 ---
@@ Line 39: / Line 41: @@
 But, [searching](https://wikipreview.qacos.com/doku.php?do=search&id=wiki%3Asearch&sf=1&q=%22Cornell+Law+Review%22+-Humbertson) for ''\[ "Cornell Law Review" -Humbertson \]''
+{{:wiki:cornell-humbertson.jpg?500|}}
 *   will find only the 2 pages —
@@ Line 80: / Line 84: @@
 You can also perform ''\[ doku**\*** \]'' (prefix matching) and \[\*okuwik\*\] (partial matching).
+.
 Note that ''**\***'' is not a "wildcard". You can't use it _inside_ of a word. For example, searching ''\[ doku\*iki \]'' will not find anything for you.
 ### The OR operator (|)
-By default DokuWiki performs a logical AND search, but you can also use a logical OR search by using ''|'' or ''or'' as a separator of your search terms. For example, the query ''\[ plugin | template \]'' will find pages which contain either "plugin" or "template" or both. The query ''\[ plugin or template \]'' will do the same thing. You may use OR as a simple alternative to \[\[#Partial matching (\*)\]\], e.g. in finding pages about people with spelling variations as ''\[ Frank | Fränk \]''.
+By default, DokuWiki searches for _all_ the words in your search, but you can also search for _any_ of your search terms. (This is called a logical OR search.)
-The OR operator has a lower precedence than the default AND operator. That is, the query ''\[ dokuwiki plugin | template \]'' can be represented as ''\[ (dokuwiki plugin) | template \]'', not as ''\[ dokuwiki (plugin | template) \]''. Instead, use a grouping syntax as described below.
+"OR" searching is done by including ''|'' or ''or'' as a separator between your search terms.
-If you want to \[\[#Search within a namespace (@) |restrict your search on a namespace\]\], you **have** to group your search with "()", otherwise a search ''\[ plugin | template @plugin\]'' will behave as ''\[ (plugin) | (template @plugin)\]'', i.e. searching for "plugin" OR "template @plugin" over //all// namespaces, but not as you may intend searching "plugin" OR "template" over the //plugin// namespace, the latter being correctly expressed as ''\[ (plugin | template) @plugin\]''.
+For example, the query ''\[ event | show \]'' will find pages which contain either "event" or "show" or both.
+The query ''\[ event _or_ show \]'' will do the same thing.
+#### Examples:
+Suppose we are looking for volunteer Mary Magathan and Representative Duane Droge (both of Kansas)
+A search using the default "and" search of the two last names, `[ Droge magathan ]` , brings up only one result.
+{{:wiki:search\_droge\_magathan.jpg?300|}}
+*   mary\_magathan\_s\_district\_page\_txt\_pages\_20882
+A search using an "or" search, `[ Droge | magathan ]`, returns six results.
+{{:wiki:search\_droge\_or\_magathan.jpg?300|}}
+*   mary\_magathan\_s\_district\_page\_txt\_pages\_20882
+*   mary\_magathan\_is\_convention\_of\_states\_txt\_blogposts\_28290
+*   kansas\_district\_13\_txt\_pages\_16778
+*   2024\_general\_election\_candidate\_list\_txt\_pages\_25882
+*   april\_2025\_newsletter\_txt\_blogposts\_29033
+*   cos\_gains\_support\_from\_kansans\_for\_constitutional\_integrity\_txt\_blogposts\_19416
+You can make use of OR as a way to find search terms with _spelling variations_, for example ''\[ capitol | capital \]'', or, ''\[ state capitol | state capital \]''.
+\_
+The OR operator has a lower 'precedence' than the default AND operator.
+That is, the query
+''\[ gun show | event \]''
+is the same as
+''\[ (gun show) | event \]''.
+But, if you needed to search for (gun show) or for (gun event), you could _not_ write it as ''\[ gun (show | event) \]''.
+Instead, use a _grouping search_ — as described below.
 ### Grouping search
 You can group search terms by enclosing terms with parentheses ''( ... )''. Having the highest precedence, parentheses may be used to force precedence.
-For example, the query ''\[ dokuwiki -(plugin | @plugin) \]'' will find pages which contain a word "DokuWiki" but not contain a word "plugin" and also are not within a namespace "plugin".
+For example, let's say we want to find Robert Cahaly mentioned, but not in the context of John Birch Society _nor_ in the context of Georgia.
+The query would be ''\[ Cahaly -(JBS | Georgia) \]'', and it will find pages which do contain the word "Cahaly" but not contain the word "JBS" and also not contain the word "Georgia".