# Searching Help (Windows Only)

Use the Search tab to the left of this window to locate content in this help file. If you want to search for words in a certain order, such as "related documentation," add quotation marks around the search words as shown in the example. Searching for terms on the Search tab allows you to quickly locate specific information and information in topics that are not included on the Contents tab.

## Wildcards

You also can search using asterisk (*) or question mark (?) wildcards. Use the asterisk wildcard to return topics that contain a certain string. For example, a search for "prog*" lists topics that contain the words "program," "programmatically," "progress," and so on.

Use the question mark wildcard as a substitute for a single character in a search term. For example, "?ext" lists topics that contain the words "next," "text," and so on.

## Nested Expressions

Use nested expressions to combine searches to further refine a search. You can use Boolean expressions and wildcards in a nested expression. For example, "example AND (program OR VI)" lists topics that contain "example program" or "example VI." You cannot nest expressions more than five levels.

## Boolean Expressions

Click the button to add Boolean expressions to a search. The following Boolean operators are available:

- AND (default)—Returns topics that contain both search terms. You do not need to specify this operator unless you are using nested expressions.
- OR—Returns topics that contain either the first or second term.
- NOT—Returns topics that contain the first term without the second term.
- NEAR—Returns topics that contain both terms within eight words of each other.

## Search Options

Use the following checkboxes on the Search tab to customize a search:

- Search previous results—Narrows the results from a search that returned too many topics. You must remove the checkmark from this checkbox to search all topics.
- Match similar words—Broadens a search to return topics that contain words similar to the search terms. For example, a search for "program" lists topics that include the words "programs," "programming," and so on.
- Search titles only—Searches only in the titles of topics.