Search Logic using NOT

TaskPaper
1

I am missing something logical I am sure, but I don’t know what that is. Here I am creating searches for a section of my paper that is heavily quoting from two separate sources, and a third running commentary using my comments. I have the two sources each with a unique tag and no tag on the running commentary. I could easily resolve this by adding a tag to my own commentary text sections. But I am trying to do it using a NOT operator and so far, I am coming up short.

My goal is to use separate searches to; show the original text alone, show the two reference source quotes alone, show my running commentary alone, and then show all of it together (as it now is). I have gotten it all set up - with the exception of using the NOT operator. I am not understanding how to write this so that I get results.

The parameters are:
AAH text “@1”
German text “@2”
My Comments - not tagged

The following works:

AAH @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records/// contains @1)
AAH & German @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records/// contains @1 or @2)
AAH All Comments @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records///*)

The following gives no results:

AAH My Comments @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records/// not contains @1 or @2)
AAH My Comments @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records/// and not contains @1 or @2)
AAH My Comments @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records/// and not contains @1 or not contains @2)
2

I think this is the core what you want not (@1 or @2). For example if I have this list:

one @1
two @2
three

Then to see only items without the tags @1 or @2 I would search:

not (@1 or @2)
3

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. The problem I have using your example as I understood your explanation is in nesting two parens. In the search example, either it is not possible or, more likely, I am doing it wrong.

Your example as I understood it using double or nested parens:

AAH Comments 2 @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records rev2///* not (@1 or @2))

Result: Cannot format this as a search

Trying:

AAH Comments 2 @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records rev2/// not @1 or @2)

Result: Empty Search

AAH Comments 2 @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records rev2///* not @1 or @2)

Result: Empty Search

4

Translating your search directly I “think” you want:

AAH Comments 2 @search(project AAH Records, Line By Line Correction Using German Records rev2///not \(@1 or @2\))

If you are using embedded searches (ie @search tag) to define search you need to escape any ( or ) in your search.

5

That worked, thanks. Your example threw me until I copied and pasted it. I see that I have to literally escape both the front and back parens. I was thinking I had to escape the leading space before the parens.

Taking the learning forward from this, how would this logic work in combining searches in the embedded search? The following method seems to work. If there is a better way, I am all ears but, this seems to follow the example you just showed to me.

Discussion @search(project (Discussion or Console)///*)

Again, my thanks for the tip.