2016-12-03 21:13:13 +01:00
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# Searching
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The Zulip search bar allows you to both find single messages in your
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streams and filter messages by various criteria. It is located at the
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top of your chat window.
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## Searching past messages
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### Searching content of messages & topics
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* To search for messages containing the word/phrase **example**, enter
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**example** as it is in the search bar. Press *enter* to obtain a
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list of results matching your search.
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* Entering multiple words will only return results containing each word.
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* The topic of a message is included in the search.
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<p align="center"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-normal.png" width="550"></p>
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<p align="center"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-topic.png" width="550"></p>
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* If you are searching from within a stream or topic, the search bar
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will already contain certain *operators*. You can now:
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* add a space and then conduct your search within the scope of the stream/topic.
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* remove the *operators* to conduct a normal search over all streams.
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<p align="center"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-scope.png" width="550"></p>
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### Filtering Messages
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You can search for messages that match certain criteria, like the author of the message, the stream they were sent in, etc.
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* Filter your messages with so-called *operators* of the form `operator:operand`.
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* Separate multiple operators by spaces.
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* If *operand* contains spaces, replace them with '+'.
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* You can combine the *operators* with the keyword search described formerly.
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* To see a list of search operators, go to the cog
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() in the upper right corner of the right sidebar and choose “Search help” from the drop-down menu:
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<p align="center"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-help.png" width="400"></p>
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Here are a few examples on how to use search operators:
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* Example 1<p align="top"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-example-1.png" width="600"></p>
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*Explanation*: Search for all messages in the stream *Scotland* that contain a link. <br/><br/>
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* Example 2<p align="top"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-example-2.png" width="600"></p>
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*Explanation*: Search for all messages from the user *iago@zulip.com* in the stream *errors* that contain the words *bug* and *code*. <br/><br/>
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* Example 3<p align="top"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-example-3.png" width="600"></p>
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*Explanation*: Search for all messages that you starred.
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### Features and limitations
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* Search hits include morphological variants by default (if you search
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for walking you’ll also get walk, walks, walked, and so on).
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* Use quotation marks (") to search for a word/phrase exactly as you
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type it. For instance, searching for `"a happy rabbit"` will only
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deliver results containing an exact match of `a happy rabbit`.
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* Searches are case insensitive.
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* Searching by date isn’t currently possible.
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* Some common words might be handled as “stop words” — the search tool
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will ignore them, because they appear in too many messages to be
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useful. **This can lead to no results being found at all!**
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* When pressing space in the search bar, a drop-down menu shows
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up. Clicking on one of its items narrows your search to the
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stream/topic/criterion described by the item.
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* If you are proceeding from a blank search bar, the items display
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your streams, allowing you to view messages from that stream only.
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* If you are proceeding from within a stream, the items display the
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topics of that stream, allowing you to view messages from that topic
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only.
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<p align="center"><img src="/static/images/help/search-messages/search-menu.png" width = "550"></p>
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* A little *x* is located on the right side of the search
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bar. Clicking on it will clear the search bar and open the *Home*
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chat panel.
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### Sidebar Links
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Zulip's left sidebar features links for your streams, starred
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messages, @-mentions, etc.
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* Clicking on one of those links will execute an implicite search,
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e.g. clicking the stream `rabbits` will search for `stream:rabbits`.
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* The search executed by clicking on a link is visible in the search bar.
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2016-12-14 18:30:19 +01:00
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### Learning more
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* See the article on [Advanced search for messages](/help/advanced-search).
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