mirror of https://github.com/zulip/zulip.git
130 lines
6.3 KiB
Markdown
130 lines
6.3 KiB
Markdown
# Searching for messages
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In Zulip, you can find specific messages by using the search bar (highlighted in
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red in the image below) at the top of your screen. This feature allows you to
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narrow your view to show specific messages using search constraints called
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**operators**.
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Operators are short phrases in the format `operator:operand` where `operand`
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represents the criteria that fits the specified operator. Operators allow you to
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instantly find messages that meet the specified criteria, such as messages that
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belong to a specific stream or topic.
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It is important to note that spaces in `operand` must be replaced with
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`+`. Multiple search operators can be used in a single query by
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separating each operator with spaces in your search bar. For example,
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a query like `stream:announce topic:zulip near:1` would show the
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very oldest messages in a that stream and topic.
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By default, search will only display messages that you actually
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received. However, if your search operators include narrowing to a
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public stream, you have full access to that stream's history, and thus
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can search messages from before you subscribed to the stream (or even
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joined your Zulip organization).
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## Features and limitations
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* Search hits include morphological variants by default; for example, if you
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search for messages that contain "walking", you’ll also find messages that
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contain "walk", "walks", "walked", etc.
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* Searches are case-insensitive.
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* Searching by date currently is not possible.
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* When pressing space in the search bar, a dropdown menu with autocompletion
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suggestions appears. 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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## Search operators
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To see a list of all search operators in Zulip, click the search (<i
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class="icon-vector-search"></i>) icon on the left side of the search bar.
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You can alternatively click the cog (<i class="icon-vector-cog"></i>) icon
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in the upper right corner of the right sidebar and choose **Search help**
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from the dropdown menu that appears.
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Listed below are all Zulip search operators.
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* `stream:foobar` - This operator narrows the view to show only
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messages in the stream `foobar`
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* `topic:foo+bar` - This operator narrows the view to show only
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messages with the topic `foo bar`. It is important to note that the
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complete topic name must be entered, if else, no results will be shown.
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* `pm-with:foo@bar.com` - This operator narrows the view to show only
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private messages sent from the user with the email address
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`foo@bar.com`.
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* `sender:foo@bar.com` - This operator narrows the view to show all
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messages sent by the user with the email address `foo@bar.com`.
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* `sender:me` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages sent by you.
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* `near:xxxxx` - This operator narrows the view to show the message
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with the ID `xxxxx` as well as a few messages sent before and after
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the message.
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* `id:xxxxx` - This operator narrows the view to show only the message with the
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ID `xxxxx`.
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* `is:alerted` - This operator narrows the view to show messages with alert
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words. You can [add custom alert words](/help/alert-words) in the
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[Settings](/#settings) page.
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* `is:mentioned` - This operator narrows the view to show messages that mention
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you.
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* `is:private` - This operator narrows the view to show all private messages
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that you've received.
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* `is:starred` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that you've
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starred.
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* `has:link` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that contain
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any links.
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* `has:image` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that contain
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any images.
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* `has:attachment` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that
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contain any attachments or uploads.
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* `keyword` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages containing the
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`keyword`.
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!!! warn ""
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**Warning:** Some common words, such as "a", "the", and "or", might be
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handled as [stop words](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_words) — the
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search tool will ignore them because they appear in too many messages to
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be useful. **This can lead to no results being found at all!**
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* `key phrase` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages containing
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all of the words in `key phrase`.
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* `"key phrase"` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages
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containing the exact phrase `key phrase`.
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(The difference between `keyword`, `key phrase` and `"key phrase"` is better
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explained [below](#difference-between-keyword-key-phrase-and-key-phrase)).
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* `-operator:operand` - This operator narrows the view to exclude messages with the operator `operand`
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* For example, `-topic:foobar` narrows the view to exclude messages with the topic `foobar`.
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### Difference between `keyword`, `key phrase`, and `"key phrase"`
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* `keyword` is an operator that consists of one word. It narrows the view to show all the messages that contain
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that one word.
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* `key phrase` is an operator that consists of multiple words. It narrows the view to show all the messages that
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contain all of the words in that phrase, regardless of the order.
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* `"key phrase"` is an operator that consists of multiple words surrounded by quotation marks ( `"` ). It narrows
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the view to show all the messages that contain the key phrase in the exact same order.
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For example, if there are 3 messages containing "Cheese", "I like cheese" and
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"Like cheese I":
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* the operator `cheese` would show all three messages.
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* the operator `I like cheese` would only show the messages containing "I like
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cheese" and "Like cheese I".
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* the operator `"I like cheese"` would only show the message containing "I like
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cheese".
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## Keyboard shortcuts
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Listed below are some Zulip keyboard shortcuts that will aid you in conducting a search.
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* **Initiate a search** `/` - This shortcut moves the user's cursor to
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the message search bar at the top of the window to allow them to
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begin searching for messages belonging to a specific topic, stream,
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view, etc. in the organization.
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* **Clear a search** `Esc` - This shortcut clears the search bar of
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any search criteria that was previously entered. This action can also be
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achieved by clicking the x (<i class="icon-vector-remove"></i>) icon to the
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right of the search bar or the home (<i class="icon-vector-home"></i>) icon to
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the left of the search bar.
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