best way to search for multiple words through a query

[vonclausowitz]

Repost from an VB group.

Hi All,

I'm looking for a way to search for multiple words in a database.
There is however one but. The words have to be within a certain range
of each other.

For example I would like to find records which contain the word MALE
and within for example 10 words of it the word BROWN.

My idea is to run a query finding the word MALE, and then with these
records go and search for the word BROWN using Instr,

but maybe there is an even easier way.

Marco

[Thelma Lubkin]

vo***********@gmail.com wrote:
: Repost from an VB group.

: Hi All,

: I'm looking for a way to search for multiple words in a database.
: There is however one but. The words have to be within a certain range
: of each other.

: For example I would like to find records which contain the word MALE
: and within for example 10 words of it the word BROWN.

: My idea is to run a query finding the word MALE, and then with these
: records go and search for the word BROWN using Instr,

: but maybe there is an even easier way.

I think that this needs a little more explanation:

If your records contain more than one field, do you mean that
you want to find word distances within a single field? If not,
what do you actually mean by distance between words in different
fields?

You will need to specify exactly how to recognize a 'word': we
usually think of a 'word' as a series of alphabetic characters
surrounded by spaces on each end: but that's just the beginning.
Is Test77 a word? Is 77 a word? Is 'word' in 'word.' or
',word ' a word?

Then you will probably be able to write a VBA function that
gives a count of word pairs for each record; accumulate these into
a count over all records using a query that is well beyond the
level of anything that I could write -- but I'm sure people here will
be able to provide easier and clearer approaches.

BTW, once I got a string that I'm seeking pairs within, I'd
try to use the Split function to separate it into an array of
'words'. The separator on which to split would be somewhat
complex, though.
--thelma

: Marco

[pietlinden]

RegExp. Look up Regular Expressions. That would probably be easier,
once you get the hang of it. And *much* less code.

[vonclausowitz]

I have more than one field.
I want to search in text and memo fields of a table.
If a field is a textfield than within that textfield the words should
be within n word.
In the memofield the same.

Can you give me an example for RegExp how to do this?

Marco
pi********@hotmail.com schreef:

RegExp. Look up Regular Expressions. That would probably be easier,
once you get the hang of it. And *much* less code.

[salad]

vo***********@gmail.com wrote:

I have more than one field.
I want to search in text and memo fields of a table.
If a field is a textfield than within that textfield the words should
be within n word.
In the memofield the same.

Can you give me an example for RegExp how to do this?

You need to learn how to use GoogleGroups.
Goto http://groups.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en and enter
*Access*
in the "return from group" textbox. And of course, enter some search
words...in your case RegExp.

>
Marco
pi********@hotmail.com schreef:

>>RegExp. Look up Regular Expressions. That would probably be easier,
once you get the hang of it. And *much* less code.

[pietlinden]

salad wrote:
<SNIP>
You need to learn how to use GoogleGroups.
Goto http://groups.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en and enter
*Access*
in the "return from group" textbox. And of course, enter some search
words...in your case RegExp.
</SNIP>

Ay-man!