To make my searches more effective using Yahoo, I shall use the
following syntax and operators.
Required and Prohibited Search Words
Attaching a + to a word requires
that the word be found in all of the search results
example: Computer Graphics +VRML
Attaching a - in front of a word requires that the word not be
found in any of the search results
example: Computer Graphics
-images
Document Section Restrictions
Attaching one the following operators to the front of a search
word will
restrict the search to a certain document sections.
t: - will restrict searches to document titles only
example: t:Computer Graphics
u: - will restrict searches to document URLs only
Phrase Matching
Putting quotes around a set of words will only find results
that match
the words in that exact sequence.
example: "Computer
Graphics"
Wildcard Matching
Attaching a * to the right-hand side of a word will
return left
side partial matches.
Combining the Syntax
You may combine any of the query syntax as long as the syntax
is combined in the proper order.
The proper order for using the syntax is the same order that the operators are listed on this page.
That is, +, -, t:, u:, "" and lastly *.
example:
(correct) +t:football -American
(incorrect) t:+football -American
Time Restrictions
You can restrict your search to documents that are more recent
than a certain date.
There is no search query syntax available for restricting by
time.
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