Support : Dialog Search Aids : Successful Searching : SET : SET ALIAS

SET (continued)

SET ALIAS

SET ALIAS allows you to customize the Dialog search language for easier use. You can set commands to your natural or native language; assign a brief mnemonic for frequently used formats, operators, or complicated commands; or use another familiar search language. You can also set an alias for a single file or group of files. Only a single Dialog command can be replaced; the SET ALIAS command cannot be used to replace a string of stacked commands.

The alias must be a single alphanumeric word, up to 15 characters in length. Dialog reserved words (see Restricted Words in this section) and commands cannot be used. Aliases of more than one character may not contain any punctuation marks or special characters. The original text to be replaced can contain any number of words or delimiters, up to 240 characters.

Caution: If you use a word that you will later need to use as a search term, you will need to use the SET ALIAS OFF command before entering the SELECT statement containing the word. SET ALIAS OFF cancels all aliases, including those in your Dialog profile.

SET ALIAS commands remain in effect for the duration of a search session and are canceled with LOGOFF, unless the SET ALIAS commands are stored in your Dialog profile.

• To set commands to your natural or native language:

?set alias choose select
CHOOSE is set ON as an alias for SELECT.

?set alias start begin
START is set ON as an alias for BEGIN.

• To assign a mnemonic for frequently used formats, operators, or complicated commands:

?set alias biblio ti,au,so
BIBLIO is set ON as an alias for TI,AU,SO.

?set alias adj (w)
ADJ is set ON as an alias for (W).

?set alias pqad print query active detail
PQAD is set ON as an alias for PRINT QUERY ACTIVE DETAIL.

• To set an alias for a single file or for a group of files:

?set alias ntis 6
NTIS is set ON as an alias for 6.

?set alias geo 58,89,292
GEO is set ON as an alias for 58,89,292. 

?b geo
  
SYSTEM:OS  - DIALOG OneSearch 

  File  58:GeoArchive 1974-2008/Dec 
         (c) 2008 Geosystems
  File  89:GeoRef 1785-2007/Apr B1 
         (c) 2007 American Geosciences Institute
  File 292:GEOBASE(TM) 1980-2008/Feb W1
         (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V.
 
      Set  Items  Description 
      ---  -----  ----------- 

Usage Notes

DialogClassic Web: The prompted version of SET Alias is not supported. Use SET ALIAS <new text> <old text>.

DialogLink 5: The prompted version of SET Alias is not supported. Use SET ALIAS <new text> <old text>.

(Special Characters as Aliases) 

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