Is there any way to exclude tags from a search? The more I use diigo, the more I find I need this--for instance, bookmarks from tag A but not tag B (ie, not also tagged B--to get a list of items tagged A, Tagged A and C, etc., but not A and B). The only option I can find in the advanced search is to exclude the word B everywhere--but I want some pages with the word B in them--just not if they are tagged B. Am I making sense?
If there is not currently a way to do this, I really hope one is implemented--as I said, it would be really useful.
+1! It's *exactly* the feature I miss the most in every tagging environment, Google, delicious, whatever. Logical operations ("and", "and not", "or") seems to me such an obviously handy, no not handy, *needed* feature when working with tags that I'm really surprised it's ignored by almost all developers. The only service I found that implements this is Simpy - which has however its minuses on other features -, and in Google mail and bookmarks you can use the search field to write a proper search string (but this is quite far from being an elegant solution...).
Once you are in the advanced search field, you can use boolean operators.
For example, if you would like to get results that contain tag A and B but not tag C, then you could achieve this by any of the following methods:
a) Write tag:(tag A AND tag B NOT tag C) in the advanced search field and click "Search". b) Open the collapsible menu by clicking on "Advanced" next to the "Search" button. Then enter into the field named "with the words in Tags": tag A and tag B NOT tag C and click "Search".
Note that if you use multi-word tags, you have to use quotation marks in your search too. I didn't use those in the above examples because tag A, tag B, tag C can be anything.
That would be good news, but I just tried the feature and it's buggy: the results are correct, I think, but only a subset of the related tags is shown, and it doesn't work with tags starting with "-". And even if it worked it would fall into my "inelegant solution" category. To be really useful it should be implemented as buttons aside the related tags, the same way "AND" is currently managed (of course boolean constructors in the search field would be a nice plus, anyway).
I would also just like to add my support for this feature as I've also talked with someone who felt this feature was important.
To be honest, I'm not sure whether a full export or this feature is the most sought after feature I've heard but both definitely seems to be must haves especially for a service as feature full as Diigo where people expect more powerful ways to handle all the data that they have saved.
Ellen H. wrote: > Is there any way to exclude tags from a search? The more I use diigo, the more I find I need this--for instance, bookmarks from tag A but not tag B (ie, not also tagged B--to get a list of items tagged A, Tagged A and C, etc., but not A and B). The only option I can find in the advanced search is to exclude the word B everywhere--but I want some pages with the word B in them--just not if they are tagged B. Am I making sense? > > If there is not currently a way to do this, I really hope one is implemented--as I said, it would be really useful.
Emanuele Rusconi wrote: > That would be good news, but I just tried the feature and it's buggy: the results are correct, > I think, but only a subset of the related tags is shown, and it doesn't work with tags starting with "-".
Hmmm, I couldn't reproduce the problem with the results only showing a subset of related tags, which of course doesn't mean that a different set of tags can cause that problem.
Another thing: Can you give me an example of a tag starting with a hyphen? I can't think of one, because I only have hyphens within tags but never in front of them.
> And even if it worked it would fall into my "inelegant solution" category. > To be really useful it should be implemented as buttons aside the related tags, > the same way "AND" is currently managed (of course boolean constructors in the search > field would be a nice plus, anyway).
Oliver S. wrote: > Another thing: Can you give me an example of a tag starting with a hyphen? I can't think of one, because I only have hyphens within tags but never in front of them.
I use some "service tags" like -tmp-, -personal-, -meta-. Now they are _tmp, _personal, _meta :-)
Emanuele Rusconi wrote: > Oliver S. wrote: > > Another thing: Can you give me an example of a tag starting with a hyphen? I can't think of one, because I only have hyphens within tags but never in front of them. > > I use some "service tags" like -tmp-, -personal-, -meta-. > Now they are _tmp, _personal, _meta :-)
OK, I can now see the use for that. It's also good to see you found a workaround.
"Ah, so you're looking for something that also lets you effectively do an "OR" search. In other words, you would see everything tagged marketing OR communication (or both).
The search feature on either service will give you that result though. Just use search and type in "communication OR marketing"; both services support Boolean operators. That actually will bring up everything that has communication or marketing in the title or tags, but having the search a little broader rather than too narrow seems to be what you want. A broader search lets you browse yourself. If OR is not the right operator, sometimes NEAR works (Diigo supports NEAR, but del.icio.us doesn't)."
As far as tags are concerned, wildcards are not supported in Diigo. Then again, in those cases you could use the full-text search (for which they do work).
Also note that the advanced search mentioned above is not officially available any longer in Diigo. It has been removed (temporarily?). See this thread here: http://groups.diigo.com/Diigo_HQ/forum/topic/advanced-search-removed-9754 However, you can still access it via a cached page (see Robert T's reply) - or you can use the search keywords to access the advanced search features.
started by Ellen H. on 15 May 08
If there is not currently a way to do this, I really hope one is implemented--as I said, it would be really useful.
It's *exactly* the feature I miss the most in every tagging environment, Google, delicious, whatever.
Logical operations ("and", "and not", "or") seems to me such an obviously handy, no not handy, *needed* feature when working with tags that I'm really surprised it's ignored by almost all developers.
The only service I found that implements this is Simpy - which has however its minuses on other features -, and in Google mail and bookmarks you can use the search field to write a proper search string (but this is quite far from being an elegant solution...).
http://groups.diigo.com/Diigo_HQ/forum/topic/how-do-i-search-for-bookmarks-with-tag1-or-tag2-or-tag3-5139
Once you are in the advanced search field, you can use boolean operators.
For example, if you would like to get results that contain tag A and B but not tag C, then you could achieve this by any of the following methods:
a) Write tag:(tag A AND tag B NOT tag C) in the advanced search field and click "Search".
b) Open the collapsible menu by clicking on "Advanced" next to the "Search" button.
Then enter into the field named "with the words in Tags":
tag A and tag B NOT tag C
and click "Search".
Note that if you use multi-word tags, you have to use quotation marks in your search too. I didn't use those in the above examples because tag A, tag B, tag C can be anything.
And even if it worked it would fall into my "inelegant solution" category.
To be really useful it should be implemented as buttons aside the related tags, the same way "AND" is currently managed (of course boolean constructors in the search field would be a nice plus, anyway).
To be honest, I'm not sure whether a full export or this feature is the most sought after feature I've heard but both definitely seems to be must haves especially for a service as feature full as Diigo where people expect more powerful ways to handle all the data that they have saved.
Ellen H. wrote:
> Is there any way to exclude tags from a search? The more I use diigo, the more I find I need this--for instance, bookmarks from tag A but not tag B (ie, not also tagged B--to get a list of items tagged A, Tagged A and C, etc., but not A and B). The only option I can find in the advanced search is to exclude the word B everywhere--but I want some pages with the word B in them--just not if they are tagged B. Am I making sense?
>
> If there is not currently a way to do this, I really hope one is implemented--as I said, it would be really useful.
> That would be good news, but I just tried the feature and it's buggy: the results are correct,
> I think, but only a subset of the related tags is shown, and it doesn't work with tags starting with "-".
Hmmm, I couldn't reproduce the problem with the results only showing a subset of related tags, which of course doesn't mean that a different set of tags can cause that problem.
Another thing: Can you give me an example of a tag starting with a hyphen? I can't think of one, because I only have hyphens within tags but never in front of them.
> And even if it worked it would fall into my "inelegant solution" category.
> To be really useful it should be implemented as buttons aside the related tags,
> the same way "AND" is currently managed (of course boolean constructors in the search
> field would be a nice plus, anyway).
Yes, I agree, that would be very useful.
> Another thing: Can you give me an example of a tag starting with a hyphen? I can't think of one, because I only have hyphens within tags but never in front of them.
I use some "service tags" like -tmp-, -personal-, -meta-.
Now they are _tmp, _personal, _meta :-)
> Oliver S. wrote:
> > Another thing: Can you give me an example of a tag starting with a hyphen? I can't think of one, because I only have hyphens within tags but never in front of them.
>
> I use some "service tags" like -tmp-, -personal-, -meta-.
> Now they are _tmp, _personal, _meta :-)
OK, I can now see the use for that. It's also good to see you found a workaround.
> Oliver, is there a list of these operators somewhere?
As far as I know, there is no official documentation of operators working in Diigo available on the Web.
Here is a list of Boolean operators in general: http://www.csa.com/help/Search_Tools/boolean_operators.html
The very common ones like AND / OR / NOT work for sure. According to Christy Tucker (http://christytucker.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/diigo-or-delicious-for-beginners/), the operator NEAR also works in Diigo but I myself have never used it. Here is the relevant quotation:
"Ah, so you're looking for something that also lets you effectively do an "OR" search. In other words, you would see everything tagged marketing OR communication (or both).
The search feature on either service will give you that result though. Just use search and type in "communication OR marketing"; both services support Boolean operators. That actually will bring up everything that has communication or marketing in the title or tags, but having the search a little broader rather than too narrow seems to be what you want. A broader search lets you browse yourself. If OR is not the right operator, sometimes NEAR works (Diigo supports NEAR, but del.icio.us doesn't)."
As far as tags are concerned, wildcards are not supported in Diigo. Then again, in those cases you could use the full-text search (for which they do work).
Also note that the advanced search mentioned above is not officially available any longer in Diigo. It has been removed (temporarily?). See this thread here: http://groups.diigo.com/Diigo_HQ/forum/topic/advanced-search-removed-9754
However, you can still access it via a cached page (see Robert T's reply) - or you can use the search keywords to access the advanced search features.