NCDOTHelp

Advanced Search

Advanced search options are available on both Inside NCDOT and Connect NCDOT. You can build a search query(thetext that you enter into the search box) with an easy-to-use graphical interface. If you are comfortable with query strings, you can also use logical operators and metadata properties.

Content

Advanced Search Interface

Advanced Search

Property Restrictions

Search Queries with Logical Operators

Search Queries with Metadata

Refiners

Advanced Search Interface

In the top right of Inside NCDOT, click Advanced Search.

The Advanced Searchpage appears.

At the bottom of any search results page on Connect NCDOT, click Advanced Search.

The Advanced Search page appears.

Advanced SearchPage

The first part of the Advanced Search page lets you create a search query with options to include or exclude words, match an exact phrase, and narrow results by file type.Enter the search term(s) into the text boxes.

  • All of these wordsis the logical AND operation. This optionretrievesresults that use all terms. For example,set an alert retrieves results that contain all three words.
  • The exact phraseis the search equivalent of using quotation marks. This option retrieves results that are an exact match of the phrase. For example, set an alert retrieves results that contain all three words in that specific order.
  • Any of these wordsis the logical OR operation. This option retrievesresults that contain any of the terms. For example, set an alert retrieves results that contain one or more of the three words.
  • None of these wordsis the logical NOT operation. This option excludesthe specified terms. For example,alertreturns only those results that do not contain the word alert. This field must be used in conjunction with one or more of the previous fields.

The Result typeoffers choices to return all results, to return any type of document, or to return a particular type of document (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

For example, construct this query and click Search.

These are the results. Note that the search text box has set an alert in quotes (for an exact match) and identifies BSIP as a term to be excluded.

Property Restrictions

The second part of the Advanced Search page lets you createa search query based upon propertiessuch as author, description or name. You’ll enter the value for the property and restrict the search according to an operation (contains, does not contain, equals, does not equal). Add more restrictions by clicking+ for additional rows.

For example, construct this query and click Search.

These are the results.

These are the properties that can be used for restriction.

  • Author
  • Description
  • Name
  • Size (bytes)
  • URL
  • Last Modified Date
  • Created By
  • Last Modified By

Search Queries with Logical Operators

You can use AND, OR and NOT, in combination with quotation marks and wildcards, to create complex search queries. These logical operators should be upper case.

Use ANDto retrieve results that use all terms.This is comparable to the All of these words option on the Advanced Search page.

UseORto retrieve results that contain any of the terms.This is comparable to the Any of these words option on the Advanced Search page.

Use NOTto exclude certain terms. This is comparable to the None of these words option on the Advanced Search page.

Use quotation marks for an exact match. This is comparable to The exact phraseoption on the Advanced Search page.

Use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard prefix and/or postfix.

Search Queries with Metadata

Items and files have properties that are created by default and are included in their metadata. You can search using these metadata values and quotation marks.

Use author:value to search for an author. This is comparable to theAuthorproperty restriction on the Advanced Search page.

Use filename:value to search for a file name. This is comparable to the Name property restriction on the Advanced Search page.

Use filetype:value to search for a type of file. This is comparable to the Result typedrop-down on the Advanced Search page.

Use Title:“value” to search for an exact title.

Refiners

If many documents are returned on the search results page, you may wish to use the search refiners listed on the left to narrow your search. For example, if you click the Excel result type in the example, above, these are the results.

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