Help:Searching - Revision history

PeterWilson at 11:48, 9 February 2010

2010-02-09T11:48:29Z

JoachimNoreiko at 14:39, 11 September 2007

2007-09-11T14:39:51Z

JoachimNoreiko at 14:27, 11 September 2007

2007-09-11T14:27:52Z

PeterWilson at 12:39, 6 August 2007

2007-08-06T12:39:47Z

PeterWilson at 11:11, 6 August 2007

2007-08-06T11:11:53Z

JoachimNoreiko at 10:35, 6 August 2007

2007-08-06T10:35:50Z

JoachimNoreiko at 10:32, 6 August 2007

2007-08-06T10:32:16Z

JoachimNoreiko at 15:39, 16 June 2007

2007-06-16T15:39:03Z

JoachimNoreiko at 15:36, 16 June 2007

2007-06-16T15:36:03Z

JoachimNoreiko at 13:17, 10 April 2007

2007-04-10T13:17:47Z

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 </div>
-If you clicked '''Search''', or you clicked '''Go''' and the page you were looking for did not exist, you will be presented with a list of articles that matched your search criteria (or a message that no matches were found).
+If you clicked '''Search''', or you clicked '''Go''' and the page you were looking for did not exist, you will be presented with a list of articles that matched your search criteria (or a message that no matches were found). If these exist, you will see up to two lists.
 == How it works ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:39, 11 September 2007
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	== More help ==		== More help ==
	See [[Help:Contents]].		See [[Help:Contents]].
		+
		+
		+	<div style="border:1px solid #ababff; background: #ababff; padding: 1em; margin: 1.1em 1em 1em 0em; font-size:105%">
		+	This help page incorporates and adapts material from the [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Searching MediaWiki user manual] and its contents are released into the public domain.
		+	</div>

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-The '''search box''' appears down the left hand side of every page. You can type in a single word you want help on or several words to search for.
+The quickest way to find information in AWE is to look it up directly. On the left-hand side of your screen there is a '''Search''' box with two buttons under it labeled "Go" and "Search".
-You may want a quick answer to an immediate question, perhaps as a result of proof-reading an assignment, or a question about a particular word - perhaps one that has been marked as wrong. First, type the word itself in the '''search box'''.
+<div style="border:1px solid #ababff; background: #fdfdff; padding: 1em; margin: 1.1em 1em 1em 0em; font-size:105%">
-Under the search box, there are two buttons.
+If you clicked '''Search''', or you clicked '''Go''' and the page you were looking for did not exist, you will be presented with a list of articles that matched your search criteria (or a message that no matches were found).
-* Click the '''Go''' button or press '''Enter''' to go directly to the article whose title matches what you've typed, if it exists. (If not, you'll get a list of the best matches, in effect as if you'd pressed the Search button - next.)
-* Click the '''Search''' button to search for all instances of the search terms you've typed. (For example, you may want to see all articles containing the word 'pronoun' rather than go straight to the '[[pronoun]]' article; or indeed, the '[[article]]' article.)
-The search results shows articles whose titles contain the search words ("'''page title matches'''"), followed by articles whose text contains them ("'''Page text matches'''").
+== How it works ==
 == What to search for ==
@@ Line 15: / Line 22: @@
 There are also articles on more general topics, such as [[etymology]] or the spelling pattern [[-eign]]. Some such articles contain advice on particular examples of the phenomenon described in the general articles: a search for 'deign', for example, will take you to the '-eign' page.
 == More help ==
 See [[Help:Contents]].

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 Under the search box, there are two buttons.
-* Click the '''Go''' button or press '''Enter''' to go directly to the article whose title matches what you've typed, if it exists. (If not, you'll get a list of the best matches, in effect, as if you'd pressed the Search button - next.)
+* Click the '''Go''' button or press '''Enter''' to go directly to the article whose title matches what you've typed, if it exists. (If not, you'll get a list of the best matches, in effect as if you'd pressed the Search button - next.)
 * Click the '''Search''' button to search for all instances of the search terms you've typed. (For example, you may want to see all articles containing the word 'pronoun' rather than go straight to the '[[pronoun]]' article; or indeed, the '[[article]]' article.)
-The search results shows articles whose titles contain the search words, followed by articles whose text contains them.
+The search results shows articles whose titles contain the search words ("'''page title matches'''"), followed by articles whose text contains them ("'''Page text matches'''").
 == What to search for ==
-An article is usually labelled with a headword, in the same way as a dictionary would classify it. (If you enter a different form of the word, the search results will usually get you there: the results for '''correspondence''' include '''co-respondent - correspondent''', an article which will help you with the spelling and meaning of correspondence.)  For example, the page about nouns is '[[noun]]'; '[[malapropism]]' will tell you what one is; and '[[-ing]]' will tell you about that suffix.
+An article has a '''title''' as a dictionary has a headword. For example, the page about nouns is '[[noun]]'; '[[malapropism]]' will tell you what the word means; and '[[-ing]]' will guide you to [[Participle]]: the technical name in grammar for the commonest use of '-ing' is 'the present participle'. (This site also links to '[[verbal noun]]', the other main use of the suffix '-ing'.) If you enter a different form of the word, the search results will usually get you there: the results for '''correspondence''' include '''co-respondent - correspondent''', an article which will help you with the spelling and meaning of correspondence. Guidance about some words is mentioned in an article with a completely different title: such a link  should be shown in the '''Page text matches'''.
 Some articles are about several words - these usually clarify common confusions or spelling errors. Such articles can be reached by searching for any of the individual words. You'll find help on the difference between [[Flaunt - flout|flaunt and flout]] whether you search for 'flaunt' or 'flout'.
 == Limitations ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The '''search box''' appears down the left hand side of every page. You can type in a single word you want help on or several words to search for.
-You may want a quick answer to an immediate question, perhaps as a result of proof-reading an assignment, or a question about a particular word. Try the word itself as a search term (even if it's been marked as incorrect: common mistakes are mentioned in articles). Sometimes the article that might help you best would be about the [[prefix]] or [[suffix]] of the word, such as [[-ing]].
+You may want a quick answer to an immediate question, perhaps as a result of proof-reading an assignment, or a question about a particular word - perhaps one that has been marked as wrong. First, type the word itself in the '''search box'''.
-The search box has two buttons:
+Under the search box, there are two buttons.
-* Click the '''Go''' button or press '''Enter''' to go directly to the article whose title matches what you've typed, if it exists. (If not, you'll get the best matches, in effect, as if you'd pressed the Search button.)
+* Click the '''Go''' button or press '''Enter''' to go directly to the article whose title matches what you've typed, if it exists. (If not, you'll get a list of the best matches, in effect, as if you'd pressed the Search button - next.)
 * Click the '''Search''' button to search for all instances of the search terms you've typed. (For example, you may want to see all articles containing the word 'pronoun' rather than go straight to the '[[pronoun]]' article; or indeed, the '[[article]]' article.)
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 == What to search for ==
-Articles are usually titled in the same way a dictionary would classify it. For example, the page about nouns is '[[noun]]', '[[malapropism]]' will tell you what one is, and '[[-ing]]' will tell you about that suffix.
+An article is usually labelled with a headword, in the same way as a dictionary would classify it. (If you enter a different form of the word, the search results will usually get you there: the results for '''correspondence''' include '''co-respondent - correspondent''', an article which will help you with the spelling and meaning of correspondence.)  For example, the page about nouns is '[[noun]]'; '[[malapropism]]' will tell you what one is; and '[[-ing]]' will tell you about that suffix.
-Articles about several words (these usually clarify common confusions or spelling errors) can be reached by searching for any of the individual words. You'll find help on the difference between [[Flaunt - flout|flaunt and flout]] whether you search for 'flaunt' or 'flout'.
+Some articles are about several words - these usually clarify common confusions or spelling errors. Such articles can be reached by searching for any of the individual words. You'll find help on the difference between [[Flaunt - flout|flaunt and flout]] whether you search for 'flaunt' or 'flout'.
 == Limitations ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Searching A.W.E.''' isn't difficult - though the project would be glad to hear of the difficulties you have.  Suggestions for improving the way to search the guide are welcome.  (See how to [[contribute to AWE]].)  Start by entering a term you want to find in the '''search''' box in the column on the left of the screen.  It is best to start with a single word, but you may also search for phrases.
+The '''search box''' appears down the left hand side of every page. You can type in a single word you want help on or several words to search for.
-You may want a quick answer to an immediate question, perhaps as a result of proof-reading an assignment, or a question about a particular word.  Start by entering what you are looking for in the 'search' box to the left.  Sometimes the article that might help you best would be about the [[prefix]] or [[suffix]] of the word, such as [[-ing]].
+You may want a quick answer to an immediate question, perhaps as a result of proof-reading an assignment, or a question about a particular word. Sometimes the article that might help you best would be about the [[prefix]] or [[suffix]] of the word, such as [[-ing]].
-The word you are looking for may not be in the guide as an individual entry: it could be dealt with by a more general article.  Or you may be looking for an answer to a more general question, such as the [[spelling rule]] for a particular sound or set of letters ('I before E', for example.)  In this case, use your imagination to search the database.  If you cannot find it, look in the list of '''categories'''.  But the most important aid is that there is no specific article with the name that you have searched for, you will see a list of articles in which the word appears.  You may have to scroll through a long list.  It may be worth trying to search for a two word - or longer - [[phrase]], which should result in a shorter list.
+The search box has two buttons:
-A '''category''' in AWE is a group of articles on a linked idea.   To see if one suits the purpose of your search, click on the '''Special pages''' link towards the bottom of the left-hand column, and then click on '''Categories''' in the list.  You should see two lists.  One is a list of '''subcategories''', and the other a list of '''articles''' in the category you are looking at.  Either may give you hints about where to look.
+Search results show pages whose titles contain the search words, followed by pages whose text contains them.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:17, 10 April 2007
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	A '''category''' in AWE is a group of articles on a linked idea. To see if one suits the purpose of your search, click on the '''Special pages''' link towards the bottom of the left-hand column, and then click on '''Categories''' in the list. You should see two lists. One is a list of '''subcategories''', and the other a list of '''articles''' in the category you are looking at. Either may give you hints about where to look.		A '''category''' in AWE is a group of articles on a linked idea. To see if one suits the purpose of your search, click on the '''Special pages''' link towards the bottom of the left-hand column, and then click on '''Categories''' in the list. You should see two lists. One is a list of '''subcategories''', and the other a list of '''articles''' in the category you are looking at. Either may give you hints about where to look.
−	~~[[category:intro]] [[category:navigation]]~~