Re: Advanced search '##?

["Richard Torrens (lists)" <Lists@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In article <4e3be92859.fjgraute@xxxxxxxxx>,
   Fred Graute <fjgraute@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In message <5928cd2fd1Lists@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>           "Richard Torrens (lists)" <Lists@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > I a trying to write a Macro to process a bank statement. The statement
> > contains lines such as
> >   Thu, 6 May 21ALDI STORES
> > 
> > But the search string
> >   ???", "*##?
> > fails to find any matches. Yet the string ##? works on its own.
> > 
> > I had a simpler string
> >   ???", "*"21"
> > which works, but of course will need to be altered for 2022 etc.

> The '*' wildcard applies to the element to the right of it, in this case
> the first '#'. Any failed matches against this will be absorbed.

> What you want is for the wildcard to apply to the remainder of the
> expression. This can be achieved by grouping the remainder using
> parenthesis so that they form a single element: ??? ", " * (##?)

So am I correct in likening * in StrongED to * in a mathematical
multiplication. In other words search expressions have rules of precedence?
If search expressions can be so likened it would greatly simplify a
description of how it works. What then are the rules?

Clearly - although I have written the page on advanced search - I don't
yet fully grok it all!

-- 
Richard Torrens.
http://StrongED.Torrens.org for StrongED instructions (in preparation) and mailing list archives