Lesson 3-1: Objectives & Intro Using Search Commands in Classic DialogOnline Course: Introduction to Searching Classic Dialog for the Engineering Professional

Introduction to Searching Classic Dialog for the Engineering Professional

Table of Contents

Lesson 3: Managing Search Results

Objectives & Introduction
BEGIN Command
SELECT Command
Entering Commands
Combining Sets
Exercises
Summary

• Print Search Tips
• Glossary
• About the Icons

Links to Other Lessons:
- Lesson 1: Choosing a Database
- Lesson 2: Using Dialog Commands Strategy
- Lesson 3: Using Classic Dialog Search Commands
- Lesson 4: Managing Search Results
- Lesson 5: Refining a Search (Part 1)
- Lesson 6: Refining a Search (Part 2)
- Lesson 7: Wrapping-up the Course
- Technical Help with Using the Online Courses

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Lesson 3: Using Search Commands

Objectives

In this lesson, you will learn to:

Identify three of the Dialog basic search commands
Combine terms using logical operators
Search on word stems and words in a phrase
Conduct a subject search using Classic Dialog

Introduction

We are now ready to conduct the search to get Brian the information about the Main Mission Antenna in the Iridium project.

Before we start, I better send Brian a note to let him know we should have the information for him in minutes!

Brian -
I should have the information on the antenna in the Iridium project that you wanted. I've already checked a few databases and apparently there are articles in the engineering literature on the topic. I'll try to get as much on the topic as I can and send it right over.
Chris

In this lesson we will look briefly at the basic commands necessary to perform this search and use the commands in Classic Dialog to see results.

First, I will enter my Dialog User ID and password to logon to Classic Dialog. The results appear below.

DIALOG INFORMATION SERVICES 
PLEASE LOGON:
 ******** HHHHHHHH SSSSSSSS?
### Status: Signing onto Dialog
 ********
ENTER PASSWORD:
 ******** HHHHHHHH SSSSSSSS? ********
Welcome to DIALOG
### Status: Connected

SYSTEM:HOME
Menu System II: D2 version 1.7.8 term=ASCII
                     *** DIALOG HOMEBASE(SM) Main Menu ***

 Information:
  1.  Announcements (new files, reloads, etc.)
  2.  Database, Rates, & Command Descriptions
  3.  Help in Choosing Databases for Your Topic
  4.  Customer Services (telephone assistance, training, 
      seminars, etc.
  5.  Product Descriptions

 Connections:
  6.  DIALOG(R) Document Delivery
  7.  Data Star(R)

  (c) 1999 The Dialog Corporation plc  All rights reserved.

   /H = Help      /L = Logoff    /NOMENU = Command Mode

Enter an option number to view information or to connect to 
an online service.  Enter a BEGIN command plus a file number 
to search a database (e.g., B1 for ERIC).

?

Once I logon, we see the Dialog Homebase menu, which lists useful information for searching. There is no cost for this database. It contains announcements about new databases on Dialog, reloads of current databases, rates of databases, and customer assistance.

When I see the question mark (?) system prompt, I am ready to enter my first command

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