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