google operators # and %

[Dak]

dus anyone know what, if anything, the operators # and % do in a google search?

[albertlee]

I think they have no use. They are simply ignored by google as something useless during any research.

 

But I am always wondering about the sign % in computer, because for example, %20 means somehow like "space" and it was also used such as %systemroot%, but I can't find the similarity between those 2... Maybe some one can answer it??

 

regards

[atinymonkey]

% is used as a wildcard in search statements, to stand for anything. It appears in SQL and other languages as well, performing the same function.

[5614]

http://www.google.com/help/basics.html

 

http://www.google.com/help/operators.html

 

http://www.google.com/help/refinesearch.html

 

None of them really seem to say, although they do cover a lot of ground... not sure, if you add # or % onto the end of a search it doesn't seem to change the results although it does change the search if you look at the URL.

[d22k]

I think they have no use. They are simply ignored by google as something useless during any research.

 

But I am always wondering about the sign % in computer' date=' because for example, %20 means somehow like "space" and it was also used such as %systemroot%, but I can't find the similarity between those 2... Maybe some one can answer it??

 

regards[/quote']

 

with regards to this the % operator can be used as a wild card again, or at least to identify one.

 

for example

 

C:\documents and settings\%username%\mydocuments

 

in this way you can make, for example, a generic batch file ( ), you get the idea

[albertlee]

% stands for anything??

 

I thought * is the one stands for anything.....

[Sayonara]

% and # are not google operators.

 

% is part of URL-encoded data (e.g. %20 is a space).

 

# indicates the start of an anchor id.

[Dak]

cheers all

 

% stands for anything??

 

I thought * is the one stands for anything.....

 

in windows OS, a term bracketed by % means its is variable. i think the computer checks the registry to get the presise term, so if a piece of code reads something like "run: C:\program files\%web browser%", the computer will check the reg and substitute %web browser% with your default browser, converting the code into "run: C:\program files\mozilla\firefox.exe" or "run: C:\windows\internet exploder\IE.exe" etc.

 

in google, * means 'any word'

[Dak]

ok, on a related note, i know what the following google operators do:

 

+ - " " | ~ .. *

 

are there any others?

 

also:

 

inurl: site: define:

 

are all useful, and i know that there are others, but cannot figure out the use for them (at least, the use when trying to find scientifical info) -- does anyone know of any other useful blah: operators?

 

i figure the more adept you are at using google, the more useful it is, so any tips/useful operators would be appreciated.

 

(eg, clicking the 'cache' button will highlight your search terms, show a site that is down, show a pdf quickly, and sometimes even show a pay-for-view pdf for free invaluble for looking up research papers)

[5614]

does anyone know of any other useful blah: operators?

 

Look at the links posted by me in post #4

[Dak]

lol, where do you think that i learned most of this from in the first place. but it doesnt mention * in that bit, and i was wondering if there are any other operators the tutorial ommits.

 

also, the blah: operators - im aware that they exist, just not aware of any use for them in searching for sciency stuff.

 

the reason i ask, is that when searching for stuff like HIV, cancer etc, it can be tricky to filter out the crap. (lots of sites on cures, the science behind, blogs by sufferers, counciling, tests, goverment policies, psudoscientifical 'cures' etc) and wanted to add to my arsenal of crap-filtering operators.

[The Thing]

It could also define the variable data type like in VB % means its an integer and $ means string.