Logical expressions

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Logical (or Boolean) expressions let you carry out searches using two or more search strings in a variety of ways using the Logical Search dialog box. If you wish to search for more than four search strings using only the OR logical expression then you can do this using regular expressions where the | character represents OR.

 

The logical search is evaluated from left to right with the full expression displayed in the dialog box’s title bar and the brackets showing the order of evaluation.

 

There are four logical expressions whose effect can depend on the value of the search proximity.

 

OR

This will find all occurrences of the two strings.

 

For example, one OR two will find every occurrence of one and every occurrence of two. The value of the search proximity has no relevance to this sort of search.

 

AND

This will find all occurrences of where the two strings occur together.

 

For example, one AND two will find all the files that contain both one and two if the search proximity is set to "Whole File", or if the search proximity is set to 1 line, then it will find all lines that contain both one and two.

 

NOT

This will find all occurrences of the first string that do not occur with the second string.

 

For example, one NOT two will find all the files that contain one but not two if the search proximity is set to "Whole File", or if the search proximity is set to 1 line, then it will find all lines that contain one but not two.

 

XOR

This will find all occurrences of the first string that do not occur with the second string and all occurrences of the second string that do not occur with the first string.

 

For example, one XOR two will find all the files that contain one but not two and two but not one if the search proximity is set to "Whole File", or if the search proximity is set to 1 line, then it will find all lines that contain one but not two and two but not one.