How to search LBT: Difference between revisions
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You can do the same with '''[[Special:Properties]]''' but most of these don’t produce useful output when clicked on their own. | You can do the same with '''[[Special:Properties]]''' but most of these don’t produce useful output when clicked on their own. | ||
===Semantic searches=== | ===Semantic searches=== | ||
LBT is built using Semantic MediaWiki which means that complex searches can be constructed using these Categories and Properties. You can see some examples of this on the page [[ | LBT is built using Semantic MediaWiki which means that complex searches can be constructed using these Categories and Properties. You can see some examples of this on the page [[Semantic query examples]]. | ||
You will see that creating the instructions for these searches and their output is somewhat complicated. | You will see that creating the instructions for these searches and their output is somewhat complicated. | ||
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On the [[Special:Ask]] page, the input box labelled 'Condition' is where we put the things we want to search for. Type in a LBT Category such 'Female'. The Semantic MediaWiki syntax requires this to have a special markup: type it exactly like this: | On the [[Special:Ask]] page, the input box labelled 'Condition' is where we put the things we want to search for. Type in a LBT Category such 'Female'. The Semantic MediaWiki syntax requires this to have a special markup: type it exactly like this: | ||
<pre>[[Category:Female]]</pre> | <pre>[[Category:Female]]</pre> | ||
If you now click on the <code>Find Results</code> tab, you will see a | If you now click on the <code>Find Results</code> tab, you will see a table of the first 50 of several hundred females listed in LBT. Each line is a link which you can click to go to her specific page. | ||
If you now add a second category, SMW will search | If you now add a second category, SMW will search and display results which match '''both''' categories (logical AND). Now type | ||
<pre>[[Category:Female]] [[Category:Pensioners]]</pre> and click on <code>Find Results</code>. You will now see a list of the first 50 female pensioners of the Stationers' Company (mainly widows of deceased members). | |||
Revision as of 08:20, 19 April 2026
Simple searches
You can use the MediaWiki Search box on any LBT page to do a simple search.
Categories and Properties
LBT has a number of extra features behind the scenes which allow complex searches to be made. For example, you could use the Semantic MediaWiki search to find all female bookbinders working between 1700 and 1750 with parents who were also book binders.
You can look at the list of available categories for complex searches here: Special:Categories. If you click on one of these categories, it will create a display of all the records which are tagged with that category.
You can do the same with Special:Properties but most of these don’t produce useful output when clicked on their own.
Semantic searches
LBT is built using Semantic MediaWiki which means that complex searches can be constructed using these Categories and Properties. You can see some examples of this on the page Semantic query examples. You will see that creating the instructions for these searches and their output is somewhat complicated.
In fact, only logged-in LBT editors are able to create pages like this. However, ordinary users are able to use a special search page without being logged in: Special:Ask.
We will now explain how to use this page to build moderately complicated searches.
Building a semantic search
Add some categories
On the Special:Ask page, the input box labelled 'Condition' is where we put the things we want to search for. Type in a LBT Category such 'Female'. The Semantic MediaWiki syntax requires this to have a special markup: type it exactly like this:
[[Category:Female]]
If you now click on the Find Results tab, you will see a table of the first 50 of several hundred females listed in LBT. Each line is a link which you can click to go to her specific page.
If you now add a second category, SMW will search and display results which match both categories (logical AND). Now type
[[Category:Female]] [[Category:Pensioners]]
and click on Find Results. You will now see a list of the first 50 female pensioners of the Stationers' Company (mainly widows of deceased members).