Content Component 26.3
Content Component Help

# FieldText Query Guidelines

- In addition to document fields, you can also apply FieldText restrictions to metafields, such as `autn_date`, `autn_database`, `autn_section`, `autn_langtype`, and `autn_language`. For example:

      FieldText=STRING{Archiv}:autn_database

  In this example, the `autn_database` metafield must contain the substring Archiv for this document to return. For example, if the `autn_database` metafield has the value Archive or Archives, this document returns.

      FieldText=WILD{eng*}:autn_langtype

  In this example, the `autn_langtype` metafield must contain a value that starts with eng (for example, englishASCII or English_UTF8) for this document to return as a result.

- You can use multiple field specifiers simultaneously by combining them with the Boolean operators `AND`, `NOT`, and `OR`. For example:

      FieldText=GREATER{6.95}:PRICE:PREIS+AND+MATCH{Brown}:AUTHOR:AUTOR

  In this example, the `PRICE` or `PREIS` field must contain a number greater than 6.95, and the `AUTHOR` or `AUTOR` field must have the value Brown, for the document to return as a result.

      FieldText=(LESS{10}:PRICE+AND+MATCH{Penguin}:PUBLISHER)+OR+(NRANGE{20,30}:PRICE+AND+MATCH{George Orwell}:AUTHOR)

  In this example, the documents must meet one of these two criteria:

  - the `PRICE` field contains a number smaller than 10, and its `PUBLISHER` field has the value Penguin.

  - the `PRICE` field contains a number between 20 and 30, and its `AUTHOR` field has the value George Orwell.

- You can use the proximity operators `BEFORE` and `AFTER` to specify the order in which certain fields must occur in a document. For example:

      FieldText=MATCH{Penguin}:PUBLISHER BEFORE MATCH{George Orwell}:AUTHOR

  This example returns only documents where the `PUBLISHER` field contains the value Penguin earlier in the document than the `AUTHOR` field that contains the value George Orwell.

  NOTE: For a FieldText query to successfully compare two occurrences of the same field, you must set the XMLFullStructure configuration parameter to `True` in the `[Server]` section of the configuration file.

      FieldText=MATCH{George Orwell}:AUTHOR AFTER MATCH{Thomas Brown}:AUTHOR

  This example returns only documents where one occurrence of the `AUTHOR` field contains the value George Orwell later in the document than another occurrence of the `AUTHOR` field that contains the value Thomas Brown. This query returns results only if you have set XMLFullStructure to `True`.

- To identify the fields, use the format `/FieldName` to match root-level fields, `*/FieldName` to match all fields except root-level, or `/Path/FieldName` to match fields that the specified path points to.

  To identify XML attributes, use the format `<tag name>/_ATTR_<attribute name>`, for example,`FARM/_ATTR_ANIMAL`. You can also use Wildcards when identifying fields, for example, `/Fi*d1` or `/Field*`.

- All string matching is case insensitive, unless you set the CaseSensitive parameter to `True` (this parameter does not apply for `TERM`, `TERMPHRASE`, and `TERMALL`, which are always case insensitive).

  Strings can contain punctuation, except braces ({ }). You must percent-encode ampersands (`&`) in strings as `%26`. To distinguish commas within strings from separator commas, percent-encode commas twice within strings (`%252C`).

  You must not percent-encode commas that separate multiple items, and braces that start and end lists.

  For example, to match the two strings `hello,world` and `goodbye,again`:

      FieldText=MATCH{hello%252Cworld,goodbye%252Cagain}:FIELD

Related Topics

- Metadata Fields

Copyright 2026 Open Text
Version 26.3 | Last updated July 2026

Send documentation feedback

Close

Send documentation feedback

To send feedback using your default email client, open an email window.

Otherwise, send your feedback and the information below to MFI-swpdl.idoldocsfeedback@opentext.com.

We appreciate your feedback!

Product: Knowledge Discovery Content Component 26.3

Topic Title: FieldText Query Guidelines