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STN/Dialog Command Comparison Chart

Basic Commands

Function	DIALOG Command	STN Command (1)
Enter a file or files or clusters	BEGIN (file number) BEGIN (file1)(file2)...	FILE (file name) (2) FILE (file1)(file2) BEGIN [B]
View terms online --in the Basic Index --in other indexes	EXPAND [E] EXPAND code=(term)	EXPAND [E] EXPAND (term)/code (3)
Search --in the Basic Index --in other indexes --with implied proximity	SELECT [S] S (term) S code=(term) FIND (term1 term2)	SEARCH [S] S (term) S (term)/code (3) S (term1 term2) S (term1 term2)/code
Display answers online	TYPE [T]	DISPLAY [D] (4) TYPE [T]
Request answers to be mailed or delivered electronically	PRINT [PR]	PRINT (4) PRINT EMAIL
Display online history	DSETS [DS]	D HISTORY
Display cost of online session	COST	D COST
End online session with temporary hold	LOGOFF [LOG Y] LOG HOLD (30 minutes)	LOG Y LOGOFF HOLD (120 minutes)
Truncation symbols
--Zero or more at the end of a term	?	?
--Internal character masking	?	!
--Zero or one character at the end of a term	? ?	#
--Left-hand (5)	Not available	?

(1) For online information on any STN command, enter HELP followed by the command name at an arrow prompt, e.g., => HELP SDI.

(2) Enter HELP FILENAMES for a list of STN files. Enter HELP CLUSTER for a list of file clusters on STN.

(3) Enter HELP SFIELDS at an arrow prompt in a file for a list of search fields and codes in the file.

(4) Enter HELP DFIELDS at an arrow prompt in a file for a list of display fields in the file. Enter HELP FORMAT in the file for a list of predefined display formats.

(5) Left truncation is available in full-text files and other select files on STN. Enter HELP SFIELDS at an arrow prompt in a file for more information.

Commands for Patent Searching and Displaying

Function	DIALOG Command	STN Command (1)
Search for all family members of one or more patents	Not available	FSEARCH
Sort answers by patent family	IDPAT	FSORT
Identify duplicates	Not available for patents	DUPLICATE IDE
Remove duplicates	Not available for patents	DUPLICATE REMOVE

Other Options

Option	DIALOG Command	STN Command
For searching --Run multifile trial search --Search in steps	BEGIN 411 SELECT STEPS [SS]	INDEX (file1)(file2) SEARCH STEPS [S STE]
For manipulating answers --Analyze answers	RANK	SELECT (6); DISPLAY SELECT
--Extract search terms from answers	MAP	SELECT (6)
--Identify duplicates	IDENTIFY DUPLICATES [ID] Not available for patents	DUPLICATE IDE [DUP IDE]
--Rank answers by relevance	TARGET	FOCUS
--Remove duplicates	REMOVE DUPLICATES [RD] Not available for patents	DUPLICATE REMOVE [DUP REM]
--Sort answer sets	SORT	SORT
--Order original documents	ORDER	ORDER
For saving items --Save a single answer set --Save a single search profile --Save session strategies --Save temporarily --Retrieve saved items --Search saved items --Remove saved items	Not available Not available SAVE SAVE TEMP RECALL EXECUTE RELEASE	SAVE L# (name)/A SAVE L# (name)/Q SAVE (name)/L SAVE TEMP ACTIVATE SEARCH DELETE (name)/A DELETE (name)/Q DELETE (name)/L
For automatic current-awareness search	SAVE ALERT	SDI (7)
--In a single file	SAVE ALERT	SDI (7)
--Crossfile	Not available	SDI XFILE (7)
--In multiple files	SAVE ALERT	SDI MFILE (7)
--Table of contents	Not available	SDI TOC (7)
For setting system parameters	SET	SET (8)

(6) Enter HELP SELECT and HELP SMARTSELECT at an arrow prompt for more information about this feature. Enter HELP EFIELDS at an arrow prompt in the file for a list of valid fields.

(7) Enter HELP SDI at an arrow prompt for more information. Enter SDI and answer the prompts.

(8) Enter HELP SET at an arrow prompt for a list of SET options.