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# Performing a Search

In the Search pane, you can search for words, phrases, and combinations of words. Search results are listed in order based on the number of occurrences. Topics with the most search hits are listed first.

To perform a search:

1. In the Enter terms or a phrase to find field, enter the terms or phrase you want to locate.

> If you enter more than one term, by default help locates topics containing any of the terms you entered. There are a number of ways to refine a search, though. The following sections explain the rules for searching with multiple terms:

- To search for phrases inside quotes, see Phrase Search
- To search with logical operators, see Logical Operators
- To perform a wildcard search, see Wildcard Search

2. Optionally, select the Case sensitive checkbox to locate only terms that match the exact capitalization of the text you entered.
3. Select Search.

> Search locates topics based on your search criteria and lists the results in the table. Topics with the most search hits are listed first.

4. Select an entry in the table to display the corresponding topic.

## Phrase Search

Use phrases to locate text that exactly matches the text you provide. Search matches the exact capitalization you provide only if you have checked the Case sensitive checkbox.

Identify phrases with quotation marks. For example, entering backup job results in topics that contain either backup or job. In contrast, entering "backup job" with quotes results in topics with the exact phrase backup job.

## Logical Operators

To narrow a search, provide more than one word in your search and use logical operators. For example, if you want to find topics related to installation, you might enter the search term installing. However, if you want to limit the search to a product's server installation, you would enter the terms installing AND server. Using logical operators, you can combine multiple terms to form complex queries. Parentheses allow you to group terms, thereby achieving more control over the logic applied to your search.

Note Logical operators must be ALL CAPS.

The following table describes the logical operators and gives an example of their use.

Search Operators

Operator | Searches for ... | Example
--- | --- | ---
OR | Topics that contain any one of the terms you entered. The terms can be located anywhere on the page and in any order. Note This is the default behavior if you enter terms with no operator. | installing OR server

AND | Topics that contain all the terms you entered. The terms can be located anywhere on the page and in any order, but all the terms must be on the page. | installing AND server AND client

NOT - | Topics that do not contain the word that follows the NOT operator. You can also use the hyphen. Note You cannot use the NOT operator with just one term. In the example provided, we could not omit the term client. | server NOT client server - client

+ | Topics that contain the word that follows the + operator. | + server

You can search using the above operators in different combinations. Following are some examples:

- installing AND configuring AND server OR client

> Locates topics with both installing and configuring and either server or client.

- installing AND server NOT client

> Locates topics with both installing and server but without the word client.

- "install script" AND server

> Locates topics that contain install script (both words in that exact order) and server.

- + server installing

> Locates topics that contain server. Topics can optionally contain installing, but they must contain server.

You can use parentheses to group terms in a multiple-term search. Grouping terms lets you control how the logical operators are applied to your search. The following examples illustrate how parentheses can affect the search results:

- server OR client AND installing

> Locates topics that contain installing and either server or client.

- server OR (configuring AND installing)

> Locates topics that contain either server or both configuring and installing.

## Wildcard Search

You can perform wildcard searches using single- and multiple-character wildcards as follows:

- To perform a single-character search, use ?

> For example, if you enter the term te?t, help searches for terms in which ? is replaced by any one character. Possible search results might be test and text.

- To perform a multiple-character search, use *

> For example, if you enter the term test*, help searches for terms in which * is replaced by zero, one, or more characters. Possible search results might be test, tests, tester, and testing.

Note You cannot use a * or ? symbol as the first character of a search.

Return to Using Help.

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