What query language is this?

[Stephen Tashi]

I'm trying to figure out how to use the search interface on publicnoticeads.com. In the "advanced" search screen the field "With at least one of these words" does not work correctly. It appears to require all the words you list.

For example if I set state to be NM, the county to be Dona Ana, the keyword to be "foreclosure" and the "With at least one of these words" to be "Idaho", I get some hits. However, if I put "Idaho Missouri" in that field, I get zero hits.

That query gives the message:

You searched for: county:Dona|Ana|foreclosure+(Idaho|Missouri)

Is this the syntax of some query language? Is there a way to trick the interface into working properly?

 

[rbelli1]

That looks like a Boolean expression generated from the input form. It is doubtful you can access anything at that level. At least it indicates what it makes of the freeform inputs.

| = OR
+ = AND
() works to group expressions
: = ?

BoB

 

[anorlunda]

Did you click the link that says " View Search Tutorial"?

 

[Stephen Tashi]

The advanced search tutorial says

-- 'With at least one of these words': This field can have multiple words and the search will find notices that have anyone word, some of the words or all the words.

which is not how the interface appears to work.

 

[hmmm27]

commas?

 

[Svein]

I am not surprised. Many websites have a stupid interface to their database queries - they just string all the search queries together (which means an implied "and") and send it to the database Of course you get a very small number of hits. The only thing worse is when stringing all the search queries together means an implied "or" (and you get a large amount of hits, making the query useless).

Most people are used to Google which has a very intelligent approach to search queries - people using Google do not mind getting 20 000 hits because what they are looking for is usually on the first page.