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Special Query Arguments (DEPRECATED)

This pages describes features, codes or syntax whose use is now DEPRECATED, i.e. not advised either for new or continued pre-existing use.

Deprecated aspects of Tinderbox may be supported on a legacy basis but the latter support can't be presumed to be indefinite. Therefore you should update your active TBX documents to latest practice as soon as practical.

IMPORTANT, all the #-prefixed query tools are now deprecated in favour of their same-named action code operator equivalents.

There are a number of special query arguments on based on attributes or arithmetic operators.


DEPRECATED - use between().

#between(AttributeName, min, max )

This query:

#between(AttribName,minimum,maximum) 

is true if the value of AttribName lies between the minimum and maximum values.

minimum <= value <= maximum 

The minimum and maximum values may be constants, expressions or may use $AttributeName to refer to other attributes.

The attribute name may also use $AttributeName notation

#between($Name(parent),bar,foo) 

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'is between'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator between().


DEPRECATED - use contains().

#contains( note )

Effects the expression 'is a container for', gathering all the notes that contain (the original or an alias of) a specified note. If several distinct notes have the same name, the result is not defined.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'is container of'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator contains().


DEPRECATED - use descendedFrom().

#descendedFrom( note )

Gathers all children of a note and their children, and so on. To gather just the immediate children use #inside( note ).

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'descended from'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator descendedFrom().


DEPRECATED - use first().

#first( note[, N] )

Gathers the first child of a specified note. Alternatively, a path my be supplied instead of a note name. The optional second argument gathers the first N children of a specified note; if N is omitted, a default value of 1 is assumed.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'first inside'.

N may be:

Prior to this N could only be a literal number character.

Deprecated in favour of action operator first().


DEPRECATED - use indented().

#indented( N[, note] )

The agent query #indented(N) is true if a note is indented exactly N steps. For example:

#indented(0) 

…collects all notes in the top level map.

 #indented( N, note) is true if a note is descended from the specified note and indented exactly N steps. For example:

#indented(1,Morning Sessions) 

…collects the grandchildren of note 'Morning Sessions'.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'has indentation'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator indented().


DEPRECATED - use inside().

#inside( container )

The agent query #inside( container ) finds notes that are the children of the container note named in the parentheses or if the container is an adornment, those notes that in Map View lie over - or overlap - the adornment. For example

#inside(Morning Session) 

…collects all children of note 'Morning Session'.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'inside'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator inside().


DEPRECATED - use last().

#last( note[, N] )

Gathers the last child of a specified note. Alternatively, a path my be supplied instead of a note name. The optional second argument gathers the first N children of a specified note; if N is omitted, a default value of 1 is assumed.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'last inside'.

N may be:

Prior to this N could only be a literal number character.

Deprecated in favour of action operator last().


DEPRECATED - use linkedFrom().

#linkedFrom( note [, type] )

Gathers all notes that have an incoming link from a specified note. Using an asterisk as a wild card will match any note. The optional type argument further restricts matches to a given link type.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'linked from'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator linkedFrom().


DEPRECATED - use linkedTo().

#linkedTo( note [, type] )

Gathers all notes that link to a specified note (i.e. lists incoming links to the note). Using an asterisk as a wild card will match any note. The optional type argument further restricts matches to a given link type.

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'linked to'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator linkedTo().


DEPRECATED - use similarTo().

#similarTo( note, count )

The agent query #similarTo locates notes that appear similar to a given note. It will find up to count notes, but may find fewer. The sequence of the notes returned is arbitrary. The underlying query is that used by the Similar Notes view.

Similarity is based on several factors, including:

In addition, matches are also weighted by

The same matching technique s also available as an export code - ^similarTo^

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'is similar to'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator similarTo().


DEPRECATED - use word().

#word( word )

The agent query #word matches all notes that contain a single word matching a word in:

Note that #word is stricter in its matching than the #contains query as it looks only for entire words and does not match regular expressions. Although #word examines several different fields, the result is that #word is much faster than #contains.

The word must be:

This query is added to Agent and Find dialog's query pop-ups, listed as "contains word".

In agent create/rename dialogs this is listed as 'contains word'.

Deprecated in favour of action operator word().


Possible relevant notes (via "Similar Notes" feature):


A Tinderbox Reference File : Deprecated Usage : References to deprecated aspects of Tinderbox : Special Query Arguments (DEPRECATED)