Scope

• Dialog offers the four output commands:
  • Display (d)
    • This displays the output of searches on the screen in a format that you select.
    • It displays records 1 at a time.
    • The general formats for the display (as well as type, print, and sort) command are:
      • d sn/N/n
      • d sn/N/all
      • d sn/kwic/n
    • Legend
      • d = display command
      • s = set (of results)
      • n = Number of the set of results you want to display
      • N = Output format you want to use.
        • See the Output Formats Web page for the standard output formats.
      • n = Numbers of the records you want to display
        • Examples:
          • 1, 2, 4, 23, 88
          • 20,23-34,101
      • all = Display all records in the set
      • kwic = Keyword in context
    • You can easily capture part of or the entire page of results to a Word document through the use of:
      • <control> a for highlighting an entire page. <command> a in the Mac.
      • <control> c to capture an area. <command> c on the Mac
      • <control> v to paste an area. <command> v on the Mac
  • Type (t)
    • This displays the output of searches on the screen in a format that you select.
    • It displays the selected sets or records continuously.
    • Continuous display of all records is useful when you are downloading, particularly from the text-based interface.
    • You can easily capture part of or the entire page of results to a Word document through the use of:
      • <control> a for highlighting an entire page. <command> a in the Mac.
      • <control> c to capture an area. <command> c on the Mac
      • <control> v to paste an area. <command> v on the Mac
  • Print (pr)
    • This displays the output of searches on the screen in a format that you select.
  • Report (report)
    • This displays content from selected fields (usually company names plus numerical data) in a table.
    • Does not work with all databases or fields.

Dialog Output Functions (Commands)

Functions / Commands	Usage	Examples, Notes
sort records	sort set/<records> /<fields>	You can sort by multiple fields. The sort is ascending, unless you add a d at the end. sort s28/all/au,ti
display records	d s3/9/all d s8/2/19 d 1/6/2-9	A screen-by-screen display d[set #]/[format]/ [item #s]
type	t s2/4/1-31	A continuous display of results
report	report s8/2/co,py,sa	Geneates a tabular display of the fields that you select.
print	pr s1/2/3 pr s3/5/3-9/ti	Offers varied ways to deliver or print selected search results. Use pr cancel to cancel a print command.

Scope

• The output of Dialog's Display (d), Type (t), Print (pr), and Report (report) commands can be formatted in numerous ways.
• There are also standard formats, which most searchers will use most of the time.

Standard Output Formula

• Format
  • output command/format/numbers of records or all
• Examples
  • d s3/1/all
  • t s8/9/1-15
  • pr s13/7/6,25,28-31
  • report s1/ti,au,ab,py/3,12,35

Standard Output Formats

• These are the standard formats that can be specified through use of the output commands
• Remember that these commands can be used in any command entry field.

  Format	Web Equivalent	Usage	Examples, Notes
  highlight		set hi on	Causes search terms to be highlighted in typed or displayed records
  keyword in context		d 4/kwic/n	d s1/kwic/2-9, 13 Shows the search term in its surrounding text in a record.
  1		d s3/1/n	Displays Dialog accession #.
  2		d s3/2/n	Full record except abstract.
  3	Medium	d s3/3/n	Bibliographic Citation.
  4		d s3/4/n	Only in some databases. Usually Cite & Abstract
  5		d s3/5/n	Full record
  6	Free	d s3/6/n	Title
  7	Long	d s3/7/n	Bibliographic Cite / Text
  8	Short	d s3/8/n	Tile and indexing
  9	Full	d s3/9/n	Full record
  10		d s3/10/n	Mailing label format

Example Custom Output Formats

• You can configure the output any way you want.
• Examples:

  Format	Usage
  title & subject	d s1/6,su/1-5
  title, author, abstract, and kwic	d 3/ti,au,ab,kwic/1-5

DialogWeb Equivalent Formats

• DialogWeb offers five standard formats in a pull-down Format menu. These are:
  • Free - USE THIS FIRST to get a rough idea of the value of the contents of the records returned by your search. This will help contain costs.
  • Short
  • Medium
  • Long
  • Full
• Usage:
  • Click on the Format menu.
  • Pull highlight down to the format of choice.

Scope

• You can specify any of a number of ways of sorting the results of you search.
• See the bluesheets of individual databases for the availability and use of the sort command.

Command

• sort

Usage

• sort <set>/<record numbers or all>/<fields to sort by, separated by commas>

  Function/ Command	Format	Examples, Notes
  sort	sort set/records/fields	sort s11/all/au,ti sort s23/1,12-22,40,87/ti

Scope

• The records resulting from searches may include duplicate records.
• This is particularly the case when you have:
  • Multiple sets resulting from alternative search strategies.
  • Simultaneous searching from two or more databases, such as using OneSearch categories or your own combinations of databases.

How to Elimate Duplicate Records

• Use identify duplicates (id) and remove duplicates (rd) operators.
• Combining sets of results using the not operator.

Using id and rd operators

Command	Operator	USAGE
identify duplicates	id	id s11 - Creates a set of records with all duplicate ones grouped together.
remove duplicates	rd	rd s3 - Removes duplicates in set 3 NOTE: Generally, you will just be using this operator, as this reduces the number of results that you may need to display.

NOTE: Only sets created by rd can be used in subsequent select (s) commands.

Using the not operator

• Example:
  • s cat? ? and leukemia
    • This results in Set 1 (s1)
  • s feline(w)leukemia
    • This results in Set 2 (s2)

  If s1 is larger than s2, then create the following combination search:

  • s s1 not s2
  • You winding up with a Set 3 (s3) that has all of the results in s1 minus the ones in s2 that duplicated those in s1.

Scope: Search*Save

• This is a way of saving searches for later execution, whether you return to searching in a few hours or days.
• It is often useful when you need to do a certain search periodically.

Command: Save

SAVE	Stores strategy permanently until deleted. Serial numbers begin with S.
SAVE TEMP SAVE TEMP <name>	Stores strategy for seven days; automatically deleted. Serial number begins with T.
SAVE SDI	Stores strategy and PRINT command(s) until deleted. PRINT command required. Automatically executes strategy against each new update to database in which entered. Serial number begins with D.

To use Saved Searches

• Type b <databases or onesearch categories>, which will indicate where you want to execute the save search.
• Then use the Execute or Execute Steps command (see below) to start a new search using the saved search.
• Examples
  • execute steps <snnnn>
  • execute <tnnnnn>
  • execute steps <name of search>

Command: MAPxx

MAPxx	Creates a Search*Save of data extracted for field xx of MAPxx TEMP records already retrieved.
MAPxx STEPS	If STEPS is used, data is formatted into separate search statements in Search*Save.

Command: Recall

Recall is useful for reviewing the serial numbers and/or names of the saved searches that you stored under your password. The displayed list shows the serial number or name, the date and time saved, and the number of command lines in the search.

RECALL nnnnn	Recalls Search*Save nnnnn, displaying all set-producing commands and comment lines, without executing the search.
RECALL SAVE	Displays serial numbers of all permanent SAVEs, date entered, and number of lines.
RECALL TEMP	Displays serial numbers of all temporary SAVEs, date entered, and number of lines.
RECALL SDI	Displays serial numbers of all SDIs, dates entered, databases in which stored, and number of lines.

Command: Execute

EXECUTING SEARCH*SAVES
EXECUTE nnnnn	Executes entire strategy. Only last line is assigned a EX nnnnn set number.
EXECUTE STEPS nnnnn	Executes entire strategy. Assigns set number to each EXS nnnnn search element. Preferred form.
EXECUTE nnnnn/x-y	Executes strategy nnnnn form command line x to command line y only. STEPS may also be used: EXS nnnnn/x-y
EXECUTE nnnnn/USER a	Executes strategy nnnnn originally entered by user a (a=user number). STEPS may also be used Example: EXS nnnnn/USER a
EXECUTE nnnnn/x-y/USER a	Executes strategy nnnnn from command line x to command line y, originally entered by user a. STEPS may also be used Example: EXS nnnnn/x-y/USER a

Deleting Search*Saves

RELEASE nnnnn	Deletes search nnnnn from system.
OTHER SEARCH*SAVE OPTIONS
NAMING	A three to five alphanumerical name may be specified following the SAVE, SAVE TEMP, and SAVE SDI commands.
	Example: SAVE TEMP SOLAR

Adding Comments to a Search *Save

An informative comment may be stored in a SEARCH*SAVE by entering an asterisk in place of a command, followed by up to 240 characters of "comment." The line will be saved with any SEARCH*SAVE command, and will display in RECALL of the search. Example: * Search for R.J.Flappjack