Using Operators on MGI Query Forms

This help document answers the following questions about using operators on the MGI Mouse SNP Query Form:

• What are operators and how do they affect my query?
• Begins, equals, ends, contains, and like operators
• "Ballpark" operators (between, less than, greater than)

What are operators and how do they affect my query?

Operators are found only on the Mouse SNP Query Form and can be used to narrow or expand the effect of a search. They usually appear on selection lists located next to a field. Examples are: begins, equals, ends, contains, less than, greater than, and so on. When a selection list is available, click the arrow beside it to see all the options available.

• Once you pick an operator, it applies to any value you enter or select for the field.
• The default operator is the one that appears when you open a query form or when you click Reset.

Begins, equals, ends, contains, and like operators

One set of operators is comprised of begins, = (equals), ends, contains, and like; you can use these, for example, to filter what you are looking for.

• The begins operator returns only items beginning with the characters you typed in.
• The = operator finds exact matches.
• The ends operator returns items ending with the characters you typed in.
• The contains operator returns only items containing the characters you typed in.
• The like operator lets you use the percent (%) wild card within specified characters to find items (e.g., d%mit).

"Ballpark" operators (between, less than, greater than, equal to)

Another set of operators lets you establish a relationship among values: between, equal to (=), less than (<), greater than (>), less than or equal to (<=), greater than or equal to (>=), not equal to (<>). These operators are useful for defining a ballpark search region when you are entering genome coordinates on MGI query forms (Genes and Markers, Alleles, SNPs, Sequences, Gene Expression, Probes, and so on). The is null operator defines an empty list; the is not null defines a set in which the contents are unknown.

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