Is there a search string limit and if so what is it?

[kitwalker]

I've been trying to run a very large search on the BGM database limiting it to the NT only.

The search is:
/boulomai dehsij enteuxij entugcanw epizhtew eucaristew eudokia euch eucomai proseuch proseucomai fulakthrion zhtew qelw filoprwteuw eufrainw sugcairw cairw anqomologeomai eucaristia eucaristoj carij adw ainesij ainew ainoj allhlouia apodecomai doxazw exomologew epainew epainoj eulogew euloghtoj eulogia eufhmoj omologew sundoxazw umnew umnoj yallw yalmoj aitew axiow apaitew deomai dierwtaw exaitew eperwtaw erwtaw paraiteomai punqanomai

If I search about a third of the terms at a time I get what looks like a valid result.
If I search roughly half the terms it will do the search after a long wait but comes up with only a handful of verses when it is quite clear that there are many more from individual searches.
If I search all the terms the computer appears to crash. (I'd love to be able to run the search in one hit as it would remove duplicate verses from individual smaller searches).

So is there a theoretical limit to the number of terms you can use in an 'or' search? At what point does number of terms cause the search result to be invalid as when I search half the terms.

Or can someone else perform the search ok and the answer is that I just need a more powerful computer?

Thanks for any help someone might be able to provide.

[MGVH]

I don't know if there is a limit to the search string, and I didn't try running your list, but here are a couple possibilities:
1) Here is a case where the verse list manager can be very helpful. Conduct a (partial) search, open the verse list manager, choose: Import > Entire Search Window Verse List. Repeat this for each search, and it will automatically eliminate duplicates.

2) A second option, if this is what you are trying to do, is run a search using the Louw-Nida domains. I just recorded a two-minute video to give you an example of how it works in BW7 using the Graphical Search Engine. Click HERE.

[kitwalker]

Solution 1 worked nicely.

But I've still become very cautious about relying too much on the Bibleworks searches as at what point do they stop giving valid results?

Thanks a lot for what appears to be a suitable work-around though

[Adelphos]

II just recorded a two-minute video to give you an example of how it works in BW7 using the Graphical Search Engine. Click HERE.

Mark,

That was absolutely outstanding. I've been using BW forever and I didn't know about that.

I hereby appoint you as an ad hoc instructor for us forum members and thereby annoint you to continue to post these helpful tidbits, say, on a weekly basis?

[MTan]

Another related way to do it is to put your words into a inclusion/exclusion list and search for them using the GSE. I've attached the GSE query file for you to examine. Both the GSE and the Word List Manager give you a way to build a list of words and use them in queries.

Hope that helps!
Michael

[MGVH]

Thanks, Michael.
I noted in a follow up blog post how one must use the Word List Manager if searching for words in a LN domain with morphological parameters. I couldn't find a way of looking for all LN25 domain words that occur in the imperative simply using the GSE.

[MBushell]

Hi Kit,
The problem with the search is that BibleWorks calculates hits for OR searches by calculating all possible permuations of all the words and for that many words it could take hours. I change the program a little so that a cancel box pops up in this case so the search can be canceled if it is getting too long. I also uped the maximum CL length from 1024 characters to 2048, though no one in their right mind would every enter a command line that long. Hmmm.
Another suggestion: Open the setup dialog and click on the option flags tab. Under command line search options find the one that says "compute hits by permutation" and turn that off. Then you should be able to do the full search in a couple of seconds with no problem. Few people care about permutted hit counts anyway, and certainly not for this many words. In any case this should get you going. Thanks everyone else for the good suggestions.
Mike

[Glenn Weaver]

Hi Mark,

It is possible to change the morph forms in the GSE, but it isn't quite as easy as using the WLM. After creating your IEL list in the GSE, you can select an IEL word, then select "Edit". In the box that opens you can change the morph codes. You can't select the entire list as you can in the WLM. This would be o.k. if you are only selecting a couple of words, but otherwise the WLM is the easier tool to use.

I watched your video--well done! That topic WAS going to be my next Classroom Tips, since I wrote instructions for that as a result of someone contacting tech support for this very item. But you beat me to it! :-> I might still do it anyway, I don't know.

Blessings,
Glenn