searching with search icons (Venn diagrams)

The icons (or Venn diagrams) in the Searches window provide an alternative way of specifying complex searches, as follows:

• • create a separate search for each search element

  • make the first of these searches the Displaying search

  • select the appropriate Venn icon

  • hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the second search element

• if required, repeat to add further elements.

Using this method, for instance, the last search described under Basic searching could be implemented by combining searches for sheep and goats after selecting the fifth Venn icon.

When combining searches in this way, the Search window highlights the search icon of the term 'hit' by the currently selected record.

Venn diagrams also provide a visual reminder of the nature of each type of search. Reading from the left, the icons describe the following combined searches:

• retrieves all entries specified by either search term (Boolean Or)

• retrieves only those entries specified by both search terms (Boolean And)

• retrieves entries specified by the first search term, eliminating those specified by the second term (Boolean Not)

• retrieves entries specified by the second search term, eliminating those specified by the first term (Boolean Not)

• retrieves all entries specified by either search term except those specified by both terms.