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Overview | Document Search | Substance/Property
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Searching
the Handbook of Chemistry & Physics
You can comprehensively search The Handbook of Chemistry
& Physics using two types of search: a basic keyword search
using the Document Search facility or the Substance/Property
Search both located in the Search Menu window.
Fig 12: Toolbar for conducting a Text
Search or
a Substance/Property Search
Searching
the Handbook: Document Search
A Document Search enables a search of the textual data in the
entire site by keyword and corresponds to the 'Keyword Search'
in the previous web version of the Handbook. This type
of search is a full text search of documents (PDFs) where matches
will be returned with text highlighted.
To conduct a search of this kind follow the‘Text Search’ hyperlink
located in the Search Menu window and enter a keyword or phrase
(e.g., ‘ferromagnetic’ or ‘cosmic rays’) search box in the Search
menu window.
Fig 13: Conducting a 'Text
Search' for 'ferromagnetic or cosmic rays' with search results
displayed in the Search Results & Data window
Wildcards can be used to truncate words that can have various
endings (e.g.,use spectr* to retrieve documents containing any
of the words 'spectrum', 'spectra', 'spectroscopy', etc.) Search
results are displayed in the Search Results and Data window
and are browseable from there.
Searching
the Handbook: Substance/Property Search
The Substance/Property Search enables you to search by name,
formula, or Registry Number for individual chemical substances,
minerals, and polymers or to search for substances that possess
a specified set of properties. (See available
search terms.)
When you click on the Substance/Property Search hyperlink
located in the Search Menu window a dialog box will automatically
open in the Search Results and Data window. A list of default
search fields is presented with the option to add additional
fields so that you can search for terms within an expanded or
decreased number of fields. To do this select the 'Add Property...'
box.
Fig. 14a: The Substance/Property
Search default search form
Another customizable form then loads ('Add Search Terms') that
lists all the available search fields. Note:
you must select at least one field in order to proceed with
your search. The search fields include both substance identifiers
and numerical values of physical and chemical properties.
You may select all the fields or a group of consecutive fields
by holding down the left mouse button and scrolling down. To
select only one, click on check box next to the field you wish
to add. When you have selected the fields you want to add to
the search form click on the 'Save' icon  .
Fig 14b: Customizable Substance/Property
Search Form
Once you have selected all the fields you wish to enter the
keywords and numerical values you want to find in the database.
Note: ranges should be entered with a space, rather than a hyphen,
between the two numbers in order to avoid confusion with negative
numbers.
You may choose the following operators from the drop-down menu
beside each box: equal (=) less than or equal (<=) greater than
or equal (=>), and RANGE. For the ‘RANGE’ case, separate the
two numbers by a single space. You must enter text or numerical
values in each field you have selected or you will not be able
to continue with the search.
When you are searching more than one field, the AND operator
is implied. Note also that all the fields must be in the same
table to obtain valid results. Once you have entered the values
you want to search, click the 'Search’ button.
A full list of search hits will then be displayed for you to
browse beneath the search form. Clicking on a given Table icon
in the hit list will display that portion of the table containing
your desired substances.
Fig 15: Search Results using a Substance/Property
search to find the common formula 'Be' with a density between
1.0 and 2.0
Clicking on a Text 
icon will open the first page of the document (PDF) of the document
that contains the desired substance or substances. It is best
to use the Table 
icon if present, because it will display the specific information
you have searched for. Note that a search on a numerical property
will retrieve only documents that exist as Tables.
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