Asked by:
Double quotes vs no quotes

Question
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Hello,
If I put double quotes around a keyword I see results. However, if I do not use quotes, no results are returned. keyword I am using is one single word (it makes sense to use quotes for two words but in my case it's a single word)
Why is search engine behaving this way? We would prefer to not use double quotes.
For example, the keyword I am using is "parameter" with no double quotes.
Thanks!
Tuesday, January 3, 2017 6:02 PM
All replies
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Do you experience this behavior when searching using other words?Tuesday, January 3, 2017 6:29 PM
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No, not at all.Tuesday, January 3, 2017 7:47 PM
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The word "parameter" has special meaning to Search. Its a part of the FAST query language syntax. When you use it in quotes, then the Query engine processes it as a search item. But when you use it without quotes, its a keyword, like Author, File and so on. Remember that FAST in SharePoint 2013 has been incorporated into the Search subsystem - it's no longer a separate product as it was in SharePoint 2010. These references can help provide detail on Search query syntax and limitations:
Wednesday, January 4, 2017 1:31 AM -
Example keyword ("parameter") I gave was used just for problem illustration purposes. I am not using "special" or reserved keywords for searching.Wednesday, January 4, 2017 5:40 PM
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So, you are experiencing this problem then when performing searches using other words?
Thursday, January 5, 2017 12:48 AM -
it does not happen with other words.Thursday, January 5, 2017 4:34 PM
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Diffident
My understanding of the issue as you have described it above is that if you perform a search on the word "parameter" with quotes, you get results containing the word "parameter"; and if you perform a search on the word "parameter" without quotes, you do not get any results. Additionally, you are not experiencing this issue when performing a search on any other word - it only happens when you perform a search on the word "parameter". Is this correct?
- Edited by Stephan Bren Thursday, January 5, 2017 4:42 PM
Thursday, January 5, 2017 4:42 PM -
Yes, correct. Please note that the keyword I am using is not a special or reserved keyword and hence I expect the engine to return results.
I am flabbergasted with this behavior. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way for me to troubleshoot this issue. Any third-party tools or logs I can use?
Thanks for any pointers!
Thursday, January 5, 2017 5:34 PM -
Please note that in my problem description above, I am specifically referring to the word parameter. And its my understanding that you when you perform a search on the word parameter that you experience this problem. If you are referring to a different word, please respond with the specific word you are using that causes this problem.
- Proposed as answer by Victoria Xia Monday, January 9, 2017 2:51 PM
- Unproposed as answer by diffident Monday, January 9, 2017 5:57 PM
Thursday, January 5, 2017 7:00 PM -
keyword is specific to our application and am not sure if that's something you can reproduce. What options do I have?Monday, January 9, 2017 5:35 PM