4 ms·
Ask HN: How do you search for "-42" in Google?
Prefixing keywords with a minus sign tells Google to exclude those words from the search. So how can you search for something that begins with a minus sign, like a negative number?
- narb 16y agoPunctuation is generally ignored in searches (some exceptions: _, +, $ and # in limited contexts, e.g. "C++", "$1000000" and "F#"; the calculator; word separators, e.g. "a=b", "a/b", "a}b", etc.; Google Code Search) http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=134479 http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer... http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=136861#exceptions http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer...
- sophacles 16y agoSimilar question for command line options in unix. :)
- _delirium 16y agoIn GNU tools at least (not sure if others follow this convention?), the option '--' indicates that subsequent parameters aren't to be interpreted as options. For example, this lets you cd into a directory named '-foo': cd -- -foo
- sophacles 16y agoThis is useful to know, and a great tip! I actually meant that "the OP question applies to searching for info about command line options as well". I find it amusing how your interpretation is equally valid. There is a lesson about clarity of communication here. :) (also thanks for the reply, I appreciate it even tho it wasn't what I was looking for)
- eklitzke 16y agoThis is a feature of GNU `getopt`, and I think it's supported by most BSD getopts. It's also recommended behavior by the SUS, see guideline 10: http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/basedefs/xbd_chap12.html http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/basedefs/xbd_... So it's not mandated, but it's the behavior of nearly all modern UNIX systems.
- clintcparker 16y ago"-42"
- SpookyAction 16y agoAlso, how do you search for anything with punctuation? I frequently use Perl, which makes use of punctuation for functions, and am constantly frustrated on how you can't search Google for them. Try searching for "perl $!" and you won't get any pages referring to Perl's error handling function. Not even results referencing Perl code that uses it. Google just ignores it.
- qntm 16y agoI'm reasonably sure that Google doesn't index punctuation marks.
- il 16y agoActually, a big point of pride for Google in the early days was that you could search for "C++" and get relevant results.
- Rhapso 16y agodo search for negative 42. spell the word out. if you are lucky then google will pick up the integer -42 as a synonym and search it too.
- win_ini 16y agoC'mon...you've now gotta tell us why you were searching for "-42"...
- ksolanki 16y agosearch for minus 42.
- thewordpainter 16y agothis reminds me of the worst band name of all-time: !!! they're actually fairly popular for those that aren't familiar, but i can only imagine how many potential fans they've lost because you can't readily find their online presences.