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Q66993: Noise Words Are Wildcards in "Phrase Search" in PRISM Browser

Article: Q66993
Product(s): Microsoft Product Support Information
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 30-JUL-2001

SUMMARY
=======

Below is a list of "noise words" that are ignored when you query in the PRISM
Browser or KB Query Service. (KB Query Service can be run either as a
stand-alone app or as a component of Workbench. Noise words only impact your
query by giving more articles than you may have expected.)

MORE INFORMATION
================

For multiple-word phrase searches, if you are searching for a contiguous phrase
surrounded by double quotation marks, and any noise word from the list below
appears anywhere within the quotation marks, then the noise words are ignored.
The remaining words are searched in order and by proximity accounting for the
space that is taken by the noise words. In other words, you may get a few
additional articles because noise words act as wildcards within the contiguous
phrases surrounded by double quotation marks.

For more information see Query Quick Reference Under the Help menu in either
PRISM Browser or KB Query Service.

Below are some sample queries, followed by the actual search that is performed:

Your query                  Actual search             Noise words
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

this thing under that       THING                     this, under, that
out of memory               MEMORY                    out, of
"Out of memory"             MEMORY                    out, of
"Division by zero"          "DIVISION @@ ZERO"        by
"END IF without Block IF"   "END @@@@@@@@@ BLOCK"     if, without
"NEXT without FOR" error    NEXT & ERROR              without, for
"String space corrupt"      "STRING SPACE CORRUPT"    [none]

The number of @ symbols shown above tells you how many character positions (not
counting spaces) act as wildcards, which match any word in that position. (@ is
not a query operator.)

Why Use Noise Words?
--------------------

The query engine uses index files and records the position of every non- noise
word in every article. Index files are automatically updated on a regular basis.
Ignoring (not indexing) noise words significantly reduces the size and update
time for index files.

In addition, the words in the list of noise words are very common and some words
aren't always significant in refining or reducing the number of articles
returned.

Noise Word List
---------------

after
also
an
and
as
at
be
because
before
between
but
by
for
from
however
if
in
into
of
or
other
out
since
such
than
that
the
there
these
this
those
to
under
upon
when
where
whether
which
with
within
without

Advanced Phrase Searching
-------------------------

Note that you can use the logical AND with proximity and order, n<, where the
phrase on either side of n< must appear within n characters of the other (not
counting spaces), in the order given in your query. Use nX if order does not
matter. Only two phrases can be connected per query. For example:

  division 10< zero       Searches for "DIVISION" followed by "ZERO"
                          within 10 characters (not counting spaces).

  END 20< block           Searches for "END" followed by "BLOCK"
                          within 20 characters (not counting spaces).

  "Division by zero" 1000X error    Searches for "DIVISION @@ ZERO"
                                    with ERROR anywhere within
                                    1000 characters.

Additional query words: browse browser.exe noisewords kbquery

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Keywords          :  

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