Search Help Contents
Search Help
This web site uses the FreeFind search facility.
Basic
By default, the search engine tries to locate pages which have exact matches for all of the words entered in your search query. If that fails, it then tries to locate pages which contain any words in your search query and will display a short message at the top of the search results indicating that this has been done.
Tips:
If you are searching for a person, try with just the surname at first because forenames may be abbreviated or perhaps just represented with an initial.
Allow for mis-spelling (or mis-recollection!) of names by trying phonetic alternatives.
Intermediate
There are several ways to modify the above search behaviour for phrases:
To match an exact phrase, use quotes around the phrase; example: "free search engine"
To match a near (within a couple of words) phrase, use square brackets [around the words]; example: [free search engine]
To match a far (within several words) phrase, use braces {around the words}; example: {free search engine}
Advanced
+ and - qualifiersIf you prepend a word with + that word is required to be on the page.
If you prepend a word with - that word is not required to be on the page.
Example: +always -never* wildcard
If a query word ends with a * all words on a page which start the same way as that query word will match.
Example: gift*? wildcard
If a query word contains a ? any character will match that position.
Example: b?gboolean search
You can use the following boolean operators in your search: AND, OR, NOT. These operators MUST be in capital letters.
Example: (contact AND us) OR (about AND us).All of the above techniques can be combined
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