Boolean operators form the basis of mathematical sets and database logic.
Why use Boolean operators?
Use OR in a search to:
All three circles represent the result set for this search. It is a big set because any of those words are valid using the OR operator.
Use NOT in a search to:
example: cloning NOT sheep
Use AND in a search to:
The maroon overlap of all three circles in the middle of the Venn diagram below represents the result set for this search. It is a small set using AND, the combination of all three search words.
Be aware: In many databases, the AND is implied.
Databases follow commands you type in and return results based on those commands.
Be aware of the logical order in which words are connected when using Boolean operators:
Examples: