Select multiple tags

[patrickx 6]

How can I select all the notes found with a few different tags? For example, all the notes from 3 different tags.  I don't want notes that all of 3 of those tags, that's seems easy to do.

Maybe a simpler way to ask:  How do I select more than one tag?

Thanks

[gazumped 11,841]

It's possible to exclude tags from a search by prepending a "-" so if you want to find all notes with tag:A,  but not tag:b or tag:C you would search tag:A -tag:B -tag:C.  You would need three searches to find all notes with just one of those three tags.  If you want to save the group,  add a new temporary tag "tempABC" or something similar each time.

[patrickx 6]

That seems very cumbersome.  I'm hoping there is a better way

[PinkElephant 8,418]

Try to use Boolean Search, with an OR as connecting argument.

https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405520390291-Use-Boolean-search-for-targeted-search-results

[AlbertR 591]

9 hours ago, patrickx said:

How can I select all the notes found with a few different tags?

Either use boolean search phrases (see PEs answer above) or try to rename tags that you often want to use together by starting their names with the same pattern.

Example: I have several tags that all mark any type of "do it in 1, 2, 3 days". The tags are named ">>1", ">>2" and ">>3". To find notes that are to do within the next 3 days, I search by using the wildcard "*" instead of the number:

• tag:>>*

Finds all those notes that would match with boolean search "tag:>>1 OR tag:>>2 OR tag:>>3". You may negate the search like

• -tag:>>*

This finds all notes that do NOT have any these tags. Written as a boolean search it means "NOT (tag:>>1 OR  tag:>>2 OR tag:>>3)"

Using wildcard "*" in tag names works for tags that start with any other characters. The "*" has to be the last character in the tag:... pattern.

[Mike P 2,824]

Some great suggestions already by @PinkElephant and @AlbertR. Just a couple of comments

1. Boolean search is great, easy to understand and allows complex searches with brackets etc. However if all you want is any of a list of tags the old fashioned search syntax any: works well and is less typing!

any: tag:tag1 tag:tag2 tag:tag3

2. If you just want a tag or any of it's sub-tags don't forget the drop down in the blue tag lozenge after you select the top level tag

I wish there was an option in the main filter to select notes containing any of multiple tags rather than all of them, but at least you can do it manually.

 

[patrickx 6]

I appreciate everyone's suggestions.

I've been using Boolean search and typing in every tag I need, but in the end, I hope Evernote understands this is not a user friendly and therefore acceptable search method for a note taking app.  It is simply a workaround for something that needs to be a part of the design.

[PinkElephant 8,418]

All notes containing 2 tags - by simply clicking into the filters tags submenu.

The combination makes it a logical AND - which is reasonable because making it a logical OR by default would mean any combination of filters would not focus the search, it would extend it.

Since the app can't guess which tags you want to use, you need to be able to click them. It's a simple part of the design ...

If you want more elaborate searches, the Advanced Search Syntax or a Boolean Search are the methods to use. ASS is the classical EN search method, BS was a long standing user request and added when the Professional subscription was launched.

 

[Mike P 2,824]

8 hours ago, PinkElephant said:

The combination makes it a logical AND

I have absolutely no problem wit this as the default for the reasons you mention. However in legacy there was an option to make it OR for that particular search. That seems reasonable 

[PinkElephant 8,418]

We can wish for anything. But getting anything means more complexity, and the sum of it is called bloatware.

There are 2 options that can be used, if a user wants more complex searches. Loading everything that can be done through them into the filters interface is IMHO the path to cluttering it up.