Help:Searching: Difference between revisions
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'''To search the Super Mario Wiki''': | '''To search the Super Mario Wiki''': | ||
*There should be a small search box at the side of the screen, marked ''search'', followed by '''Go''' and '''Search'''. Just type what you're looking for into the ''search box'' and press the ''Enter'' key. Or, click '''''Go''''' / '''''Search'''''. | *There should be a small search box at the side of the screen, marked ''search'', followed by '''Go''' and '''Search'''. Just type what you're looking for into the ''search box'' and press the ''Enter'' key. Or, click '''''Go''''' / '''''Search'''''. | ||
*''Enter'' or '''''Go''''' will take you directly to an article if it or its redirect matches the title of your search query, and search within all articles otherwise. '''''Search''''' will always perform a search within all articles regardless if there's a title match or not. | |||
The most important search tip is: ''don't search for '''only''' words in quotes''. Try the search without quotes first. If that's not good enough, put as many words as possible outside the quotes or add some more to narrow the search. | Or, go to the [[Special:Search|search page]] and enter your search there. The most important search tip is: ''don't search for '''only''' words in quotes''. Try the search without quotes first. If that's not good enough, put as many words as possible outside the quotes or add some more to narrow the search. | ||
== | ==Wiki search function== | ||
===Limiting results=== | ===Limiting results=== | ||
The wiki's default search mode will turn up results with '''''any''''' of the words in your query. To limit to results that include '''''all''''' words, put a "+" at the beginning of each word to return only pages containing both words, like Google's default mode. | |||
You can also do a '''phrase''' search by enclosing words in quotes. | You can also do a '''phrase''' search by enclosing words in quotes. This turns up a smaller set of results, which not only have both words but have them in order. | ||
To '''exclude''' results that include some word, put a "-" at the beginning. | To '''exclude''' results that include some word, put a "-" at the beginning. | ||
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If your search terms include a common "stop word" (such as "the", "one", "your", "more", "right", "while", "when", "who", "which", | If your search terms include a common "stop word" (such as "the", "one", "your", "more", "right", "while", "when", "who", "which", | ||
"such", "every", "about", "onto"), it will be ignored by the search system. If you're trying to do a phrase search or all-words-only search, this may result in returning nothing at all. Short numbers, and words that appear in half of all articles, will also not be found. In this case, drop those words and rerun the search. | "such", "every", "about", "onto"), it will be ignored by the search system. If you're trying to do a phrase search or all-words-only search, this may result in returning nothing at all. Short numbers, and words that appear in half of all articles, will also not be found. In this case, drop those words and rerun the search. | ||
===Words in single quotes=== | ===Words in single quotes=== | ||
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===Namespaces searched by default=== | ===Namespaces searched by default=== | ||
The search only applies to articles and galleries by default. To search | The search only applies to articles and galleries by default. To search in other namespaces, select or unselect the items in the "Add namespaces..." box found on the search results page. Registered users can check the "Remember selection for future searches" box to save these settings for every time they search. | ||
Searching the file namespace means searching the file descriptions, i.e. the first parts of the file description pages. | Searching the file namespace means searching the file descriptions, i.e. the first parts of the file description pages. | ||
===The displayed text is searched=== | ===The displayed text is searched=== | ||
The displayed text (what one sees rendered on the page) is searched, not the wikitext. This distinction is relevant when attempting to search for specific formatting or syntax. To search the wikitext instead, use the format <code>insource:"Text goes here"</code>. | The displayed text (what one sees rendered on the page) is searched, not the wikitext. This distinction is relevant when attempting to search for specific formatting or syntax. To search the wikitext source instead, use the format <code>insource:"Text goes here"</code>. | ||
==Google== | ==Google== | ||
You can also use the Google search engine to search the Super Mario Wiki: | |||
*[https://www.google.com/custom?sitesearch=mariowiki.com Search the wiki with Google] | *[https://www.google.com/custom?sitesearch=mariowiki.com Search the wiki with Google] | ||
Latest revision as of 13:03, December 21, 2024
To search the Super Mario Wiki:
- There should be a small search box at the side of the screen, marked search, followed by Go and Search. Just type what you're looking for into the search box and press the Enter key. Or, click Go / Search.
- Enter or Go will take you directly to an article if it or its redirect matches the title of your search query, and search within all articles otherwise. Search will always perform a search within all articles regardless if there's a title match or not.
Or, go to the search page and enter your search there. The most important search tip is: don't search for only words in quotes. Try the search without quotes first. If that's not good enough, put as many words as possible outside the quotes or add some more to narrow the search.
Wiki search function
Limiting results
The wiki's default search mode will turn up results with any of the words in your query. To limit to results that include all words, put a "+" at the beginning of each word to return only pages containing both words, like Google's default mode.
You can also do a phrase search by enclosing words in quotes. This turns up a smaller set of results, which not only have both words but have them in order.
To exclude results that include some word, put a "-" at the beginning.
Avoid short and common words
If your search terms include a common "stop word" (such as "the", "one", "your", "more", "right", "while", "when", "who", "which", "such", "every", "about", "onto"), it will be ignored by the search system. If you're trying to do a phrase search or all-words-only search, this may result in returning nothing at all. Short numbers, and words that appear in half of all articles, will also not be found. In this case, drop those words and rerun the search.
Words in single quotes
If a word appears in an article with single quotes, you can only find it if you search for the word with quotes. Since this is rarely desirable it is better to use double quotes in articles, for which this problem does not arise.
An apostrophe is identical to a single quote. A word with apostrophe s is an exception in that it can be found also searching for the word without the apostrophe and the s.
Namespaces searched by default
The search only applies to articles and galleries by default. To search in other namespaces, select or unselect the items in the "Add namespaces..." box found on the search results page. Registered users can check the "Remember selection for future searches" box to save these settings for every time they search.
Searching the file namespace means searching the file descriptions, i.e. the first parts of the file description pages.
The displayed text is searched
The displayed text (what one sees rendered on the page) is searched, not the wikitext. This distinction is relevant when attempting to search for specific formatting or syntax. To search the wikitext source instead, use the format insource:"Text goes here".
You can also use the Google search engine to search the Super Mario Wiki:
