Search Criteria

Search criteria are used to define search arguments in the Search Entry box.

Items on the Search Menu

The Search menu offers easy access to items used to define powerful searches using commands, wild-cards and other symbols. These items are also available via the shortcut menuClosed Also known as a contextual menu, acessed by right-clicking (or pressing Ctrl+Click, Mac only) over a screen element in the Search Entry box. In addition, complex searches can be defined in the graphical Construct tab, which may be easier than creating a search argument.

Expressions are the basic building blocks that form search arguments. In Accordance, an expression can be a word, phrase, Key number, tag definition, or a group of expressions in parentheses.

The simplest search is to look for an exact word or phrase. For example, you can search for each occurrence of "Aaron" or "Moses and Aaron". 

Words and phrases can be added to the Search Entry box in a few ways:


 

Search for a Specific Word or PhraseSearch for a Specific Word or Phrase

  1. Open a Bible text Search tabClosed The core tab used to search Bible texts, it consists of a search entry area and a search results area and set it to search for Words.

    You can also open a Tools tab and select the field to be searched.
  2. Enter the desired word or phrase in the Search Entry box using one of the above methods.

    If desired, you can also define a search range.
  3. Click Search. Accordance checks your entry to verify the words actually occur in the search text.
  4. If the words do appear, the search text is displayed in the Search Results pane.
  5. If the words do not appear, the Select Words dialog box appears, highlighting the word closest in spelling to the word you entered. You can then select the word you want to enter.

Searching When a Phrase Cannot be FoundSearching When a Phrase Cannot be Found

In some cases you may search for a phrase and receive a message advising the phrase cannot be found. In this case, don't give up. A couple of options are still available for you.

This example provides instructions for locating all verses with "Miriam" and "Moses"; obviously you can do this for any word combination.

  1. In the Search Entry box, enter the phrase combination you want to find. In this case, type:
    Moses Miriam.
  2. Click Search. A message appears, advising the exact phrase cannot be found, with two options:

  1. Search: Click Search to repeat using a Flex search.
  2. Cancel: Click Cancel to discontinue the search and close the message box.