Tips for Searching

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If you are accessing this page in the frames environment it was designed for, then the frame beside this one has a form with a text area, a button that says "Go!", and perhaps some drop down options. There are also "tabs" across the top of the form. Here are some tips to help you select the best tab for you, and to use the search scripts to locate what you are looking for.

1. The Tabs
   
   The tabs on the top of the form look something like this:
   
   
   • Clicking on the first tab will bring up the form for searching HymnSite's HymnBase, an online index that includes information from the 1989 edition of The United Methodist Hymnal, the 1964 edition of The Methodist Hymnal, and The Cokesbury Worship Hymnal. This form has lots of options to help you customize your search. We'll talk more about them later.
     
   • Clicking on the second tab will bring up the form for searching HymnSite's hymn texts themselves.
     
   • Clicking on the third tab will bring up the form for HymnSite's exclusive BIGsearch, which has indices to several sites with hymns you might be looking for. If you find what you want by following a link to another site, that's great. The point here is ministry. If HymnSite can't fill your need, then it is a privilege to help point the way to a site that can.
     
   • The fourth tab will take you straight to HymnSite.com's home page. It may surprise you, but there are people who have used the search scripts on this site without even knowing that they were here. Call it vanity, but I want to give people the opportunity to see and experience HymnSite.com the way that I created it.
     
2. The Text Area
   
   The first part of each form is a blank text area that looks something like this:

   Click your mouse inside of the window and type a phrase or any words that you want to search for. A couple of quick pointers:

   • The script ignores capitalization, so don't worry about upper and lower case characters.
     
   • Don't use special characters or punctuation. Many special characters and punctuation marks have specific meanings inside of the script and will lead to unpredictable results.
     
   • Words in the text area should be separated by spaces only. The script will not recognize advanced features like parentheses or quotes. Those characters will only lead to unexpected results.
     
3. The "Go!" Button
   
   This button does just what it says. When you have your search text and options set, you can click on this button and the search will spring into action.
   
4. Drop down boxes
   
   The HymnBase and the Full Text search forms have drop down option boxes to help you customize your search.
   
   • Match phrase/All words/Any word: "Match phrase" (the default) requires the script to find an exact match for the phrase that you put in the text box. Please don't try this with a punctuated phrase. It will lead to unexpected results. You can use "All words" to require all of your words to appear in the result in any order. If you use "Any word," the script will include any record that matches any of the words that you put in the text box.
     
   • Any field: This applies only to HymnSite.com's database for The United Methodist Hymnal. By default, the script will search for a match in any of the data fields in this drop down box. If you want to limit your search to a specific field, simply select it.
     
   • Sort names/Sort numbers: This drop down box simply lets you choose the sorting method that you want to use. Name sorting is the default. Sorting by number is useful if you want to browse your results in a "real" copy of the hymnal.
     
5. Include titles without MIDIs: This applies only to the HymnBase. Many hymn tunes are subject to copyright or other restrictions and cannot be posted. However, the HymnBase contains all titles, numbers, and other information for looking up hymns. Check this box if you want to include results, even if they do not have MIDI files available at HymnSite.com.

1. Hymn Number Searching
   • Numbers used for hymns from The United Methodist Hymnal posted at this site correspond to the 1989 edition.
   • If you know the number of the hymn you want, the search script will locate it.
   • You can instruct the script to search for the hymn number field only. Use the form's "drop down" box to narrow your search to this field.
2. Word Searching
   • Most of your title searches will be easier if you search for just one word. For example, to find O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, search for Thousand.
3. Searching for writers, composers, arrangers, translators, etc.
   • This information is contained in HymnSite's new data file and can be searched even though it doesn't appear on the screen.
   • Send me e-mail to let me know if you like this feature.
   • Let me know if you want to see the names in the search results, and how you would print it on the screen.
4. Capitalization
   • The search script doesn't worry about case, so you can use ALL CAPITAL, all lower case, or even MiXeD CaSe letters.
5. Punctuation and Special Characters
   • DON'T USE THEM!! The search script doesn't work with them. The following characters are invalid for searches: : = ~ ^ ? { } ( ) + $ ! . <> # & * [ ] / ,

If you are still having trouble, you may be searching for a hymn that isn't here. If it is copyrighted or otherwise restricted, I cannot post it. You can check for copyrights in the hymnal.

BIGsearch

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BIGsearch is a search and link feature of HymnSite.com. It is intended to help you locate hymn titles that are available on the internet.  It is not an endorsement of any other site; it is simply an effort to help you find what you are looking for. Here are some things you should know. If you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask Chris by e-mail.

Copyright | Searching | Adding your lists

Copyright

MIDI files from HymnSite.com:

All of the hymn files at HymnSite.com beginning with the file name "umh" were created by me personally, and I have placed no restrictions on any of them. They are free for you to use in any manner that you choose, commercial or otherwise. My sole purpose is making these files available. If you are aware of any copyright restrictions on any of them, let me know so that we can resolve any problems that may exist.

MIDI files from other sites:

Use of materials from most other sites is either limited to non-commercial use or use by permission only. Read the copyright notices at all of the sites you visit. They are not part of HymnSite.com, and I cannot give or withhold permission on them.

Searches

HymnSite.com's BIGsearch was designed to do one, simple thing--find hymn titles. The phrase that you enter for the search must match a phrase in the title exactly.  For example, if you search for "amazing grace," you will locate only those hymns that have the word "amazing" followed by one space followed by "grace". (I know of only one hymn that matches this search!)

The script is written in PERL and uses PERL pattern matching, so there are a few other good tricks that you can try. Here are my suggestions:

• Pick one, key word in the title that you want to find. For example, if you want to find Angels We Have Heard On High, search HymnSite.com's BIGsearch for heard or angels.

• Don't search for common words like the or and. The script will handle it just fine and will even show you the total number of titles satisfying the query, but only the first 250 titles after HymnSite.com's will be posted. It's a "bandwidth thing"--you don't want a 2Mb list of hymns jamming your modem, and I don't want to send it, either.

Adding your lists

BIGsearch is part of a private web site. I am Chris, and I want HymnSite.com to be the best resource that I can make it. As far as I am concerned, the more access I can facilitate for Christian hymn resources, the better. If you have free hymns that are available for download on the internet, I can add you to BIGsearch very easily. Just send me a list of the hymn titles on your site (not authors or composers, etc.) in ASCII text with one title per line, and the name and URL of the page where they can be found. I will visit your site and let you know as soon as I have added your lists to HymnSite.com's BIGsearch data, or if I have any questions or concerns. I won't promise to add your list, but I will promise to consider all requests. Results for your site will appear in the same way that results for other sites do. I can't promise any particular order for links to any individual site. Results from your site may follow immediately behind HymnSite.com's, or your results could be at the very end. Either way, a link to your site will appear if any of your hymn titles match the query.

God bless you--
HymnSite.com