Using Public Debt's Search Engine
Quick Search
The easiest way to use our search engine is to simply type words into the box, and click on "Search". You will be presented with a list of the pages that best match the words you entered. Most of the time, this method will find the pages you want.
Advanced Search
To make more specific searches, or change the way the results are presented, you can make selections from the menus found just above the box for entering search words.
Use the Match menu to specify how the search engine should
match your search words. If you select All, the search engine will
look for pages containing all of the words you entered. If you select
Any, it will look for pages containing any of the words you entered.
If you select Boolean, then you may use the words
"and", "or",
"not", and parentheses "(" and
")", to look for different combinations of words.
The default is to match all words. Note that "not"
means "without", and should not be combined with
"and" or "or". Here are some
example Boolean searches:
- "
cat and dog" finds pages that mention both cats and dogs. - "
cat or dog" finds pages that mention cats or dogs. - "
cat not dog" finds pages that mention cats, but do not mention dogs. (cat and dog not fleas) or camelfinds pages that mention both cats and dogs without mentioning fleas, or that mention camels.
Use the Sort by menu to tell the search engine how to sort the results. You can sort by score, which shows the best matches first; by time, which shows the most recently modified pages first; by title; or any of these in reverse order. The default is to sort pages by score.