Search Syntax: Can it be simplified?

PL

In looking at the Search tips / samples in a freshly-opened Search window, I notice many search syntax forms that I know nothing about and never use because they look very intimidating.

Would Logos consider drastically simplifying and standardizing these search syntax forms? I wish Logos would stick to a single form, e.g. Attribute:Value pair. Right now there are a bewildering variety of forms, extremely confusing to the non-advanced user, e.g.

• <Attribute Value>
• <Attribute = Value>
• {Attribute <Attribute2 Value>}
• Attribute:Value

Thanks,

Peter

MJ. Smith

PL said:

• <Attribute Value>
• <Attribute = Value>
• {Attribute <Attribute2 Value>}
• Attribute:Value

While I agree that Faithlife needs to build a user-friendly search builder tool, is it really fair to take the terms out of their context? In context, it is clear what type of attribute is being referred to. And while I agree that there is a tremendous amount to be learned for constructing searches, Logos has so many places where it builds search for us that if we pay attention to the searches it builds we will slowly learn the patterns. Why in 10 years, I have learned at least 20% of what Dave Hooton and Fr. Devin Roza know.[8-|]

Seriously, I agree that it is sufficiently complex that only those with a strong need to use some of the more powerful searches are willing to spend the time necessary to learn them. But the type of thing that I consider more problematic than your example are things such as:

• Bible vs. Basic searches with proximity operators
• proximity operators mixed with lists or Booleans
• when lists and Booleans will give different results ...

These are things that many users think they know how to use - then get bitten by "strange" results. Questions about the sort of thing come up on the forums over and over from quite savvy users who forgot a particular quirk.

GregW

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/808495#Comment_808495

MJ. Smith said:

Why in 10 years, I have learned at least 20% of what Dave Hooton and Fr. Devin Roza know.

That much? You're doing better than I am! 

Mark Barnes

PL said:

Would Logos consider drastically simplifying and standardizing these search syntax forms? I wish Logos would stick to a single form, e.g. Attribute:Value pair. Right now there are a bewildering variety of forms, extremely confusing to the non-advanced user, e.g.

• <Attribute Value>
• <Attribute = Value>
• {Attribute <Attribute2 Value>}
• Attribute:Value

The problem is that all these represent different types of data. If you change the syntax so they were all there same, you wouldn't be able to perform the different kinds of searches. It's a bit like suggesting that we make the four mathematical operators the same so that we don't have to remember +, - ×, and ÷. It would be simpler just to have +, but you'd then have to write out 4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4 instead of 4×11! That's not simpler.

What Faithlife have been doing, and will develop still further, is improving the search suggestions and auto-completion. Already you don't have to remember it's <Person Moses> — just type Moses, and select the person from the dropdown. We should expect more improvements along those lines, possibly with Logos 7. It might look something like this: https://community.logos.com/forums/p/117124/769004.aspx#769004