Tips for Searching with the Wildcard Character (%)

The wildcard character, %, can be used in searches where you are unsure of the correct spelling of a name, occupation, or location. The % stands in for an unknown letter or group of letters in a name. The wildcard is available for use in all text fields.

Example of using the wildcard at the end of a word: If you were unsure whether a last name was spelled Waddell or Waddel you could enter the search wadde% into the Last Name field, and all entries for both names would be returned.

Example of using the wildcard at the beginning of a word: If you were unsure whether a last name may have been entered as Crary or McCrary, you could enter a search for %crary in the Last Name field. This search would return records of people with the last names of Crary and McCrary as well as Vicrary.

Example of using the wildcard in the middle of a word: If you were unsure whether a woman's first name was Biddy or Betsy, you could enter b%y into the search box for First Name. This search would return records for anyone with the first name Biddy or Betsy as well as Betty, Barney, or Bobby.

Using the wildcard in the middle of a word can also help if you are unsure whether a given letter in a name is single or double. For example, the search reil%y would return entries containing both Reily and Reilly. This type of search can also help if you are unsure of a vowel in a word. For example, the search jens%n would return records containing the names Jensan, Jensen, and Jenson.

Tips for Searching Numeric Fields

When searching numeric fields, four options are available. You can search using >, =, <, and < >. The < > option allows you to enter two values and search for values that fall between the two. For example, a search of age <> 10 15 would return all persons whose ages are 11, 12, 13, or 14.

Tips for Searching Text Fields

All text fields are case-insensitive. Therefore, a search of Last Name: Smith would return the same results as Last Name: smith.