Search syntax question

[lspovoi]

I love this search engine, but I haven't used the search modifiers much. Here's a question:

This search:
ww:thor path:external
yields these results, which each have "external" as part of their path:
Thor 2015-Siesta-Sprinter-RV-Owners-Manuals-4-16-14.pdf
Buy THOR Nov 2003.pdf

This search:
ww:tho* path:external
includes the first file above, plus some files that have a word STARTING with "tho", but it doesn't include the second file (Buy THOR....)

What am I misunderstanding here?
Thanks
Dan

[therube]

Looks like its going to be because of, Match whole filename when using wildcards.


(I believe that's going to be the reason.
Now, explain it... ?)


So... by default...

ww:word is matching a "word" (so something delineated by "spaces" [generally]) word.
ww:wor* is matching a "filename" that starts with"wor", but the *, then is saying to match a "wholefilename" that starts with "wor", so anything that is "\wor*".



Flip the above option & ...

ww:wor* is matching a "word" (in this case, something beginning with a "spaces" [generally]) word, followed by anything.



(Confused? Me too, but its all in the nuances .)

[lspovoi]

Thanks for the reply, and the link to the prior question about this. I don't UNDERSTAND it yet but I can see that wholeword and wildcards are kind of contradictory - but EVERYTHING has to do SOMETHING if I am silly enough to use both - and it even has an option so I can tell it what I prefer...

Much thinking this about will I do..

Dan

[froggie]

I will put my bet on

General > Search > Match Whole filename when using wildcards

being checked.