Improving notmuch query documentation [was: Re: Partial words on notmuch search?]

Subject: Improving notmuch query documentation [was: Re: Partial words on notmuch search?]

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:14:35 +0200

To: notmuch@notmuchmail.org

Cc:

From: Andrei Popescu


On Lu, 16 ian 12, 21:34:31, Austin Clements wrote:
> Quoth Andrei Popescu on Jan 16 at 10:21 pm:
> > This is also interesting:
> > $ notmuch count 'debian'
> > 65888
> > $ notmuch count 'dEbian'
> > 65888
> > $ notmuch count 'Debian'
> > 65887
> 
> The first two will match stemmed versions of "debian" such as
> "debian's" and "debianed".  However, starting a term with a capital
> letter suppresses stemming (because it suggests that it's a name,
> which you wouldn't want to modify), so your last query matches only
> the term "debian".  This is probably documented somewhere, though I
> don't know where.

Stemming is mentioned in the Xapian docs, but I didn't understand the 
meaning until I read your explanation, thanks :)

> > Where can I read more about this? (except the source :)
> 
> Most of this is in the Xapian query syntax document you found.  Really
> we ought to beef-up Notmuch's query syntax documentation.

If I get around to write something myself where do you suggest I should 
start, the wiki or the manpage?

Thanks,
Andrei
-- 
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
(Albert Einstein)
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