Advanced Search example: Using multiple criteria

When using three or more criteria in the Advanced Search, the order in which you specify the criteria is very important. This example shows how to use multiple criteria in the Advanced Search.

The Advanced Search rows are executed from the top down, so you must be careful when specifying three or more criteria. For example, consider a search with three criteria:
  1. X
  2. and Y
  3. or Z
The search algorithm first executes the first two lines (X and Y). It then uses this result and applies it to the third line ((X and Y) or Z)). The results of this search will then be aggregated to the results of the other search panels, using the and operator.
For example, consider the case where you want to retrieve all the referable-content topics in authoring that were used in versions 1.12 or 1.13 of the documentation. To perform this search, you would enter following Advanced Search criteria:
  1. version=1.12
  2. or version=1.13
  3. and topic-type=referable-content
The Advanced Search will first retrieve all the topics that are in version 1.12 or version 1.13 and will then retrieve from this list all the referable-content topics. Entering the criteria in a different order would not return the desired search.

The following procedure describes how to perform this sample search.

  1. In the Cycles panel of the Search view, select Authoring.
  2. In the Document Types panel, select Topics.
  3. If necessary, expand the Advanced Search panel.
    The default Operator is and to indicate that the results of the Advanced Search panel will be aggregated with the results of the other panels (in this example, this is all the Topics in Authoring), using the and operator.
    Advanced Search
  4. Set your cursor into the Type column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  5. Click the indicator and select index from the drop-down list.
    Advanced select type
  6. Set your cursor into the Name column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  7. Click the indicator and select Version from the drop-down list.
  8. Enter 1.12 in the Value field.
  9. Click the Add a new line button. Add advanced search line button
    This adds a new line beneath the one shown above.
  10. Set your cursor into the Operator column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  11. Select the or operator.
  12. Set your cursor into the Type column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  13. Click the indicator and select index from the drop-down list.
  14. Set your cursor into the Name column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  15. Click the indicator and select Version from the drop-down list.
  16. Enter 1.13 in the Value field.
  17. Click the Add a new line button. Add advanced search line button
    This adds a new line beneath the one shown above.
  18. Set your cursor into the Type column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  19. Click the indicator and select index from the drop-down list.
  20. Set your cursor into the Name column.
    A drop-down indicator appears.
  21. Click the indicator and select Type from the drop-down list.
  22. Set your cursor into the Value column.
    A drop-down indicator appears. drop-down indicator
  23. Click the indicator and select referable-content from the drop-down list.
    The Advanced Search panel should look as follows:
    Advanced search example
  24. Click Search.