Hi,
 
In response to a request for information on how to search the Bee-l
archives...
 
I seem to remember that somewhere (maybe Allen D can help here) it
is possible to search Bee-l archives on a Web page.
 
However the following may help and can be used for any listserv with
the search components installed provided that they are modified
accordingly.  The following examples are for searching the
Bee-l listserv,  the address is -
 
[log in to unmask]
 
The following examples should be placed in the message body,  the
subject header may be left blank.
 
Don't send searches to 'the list' ([log in to unmask])!
 
Listservs are picky about the language that you use to talk to them,
so I suggest that if you are interested in searching the Bee-l
archives you keep this message and then copy and paste as
appropriate.
 
The following examples will return the individual posts in one file.
If you wish to see the subject headers of the posts before obtaining
them individually then omit the last line in each example and refer
to the last example for retrieving individual posts.
 
I find that I get a response from the Bee-l listserv very quickly -
usually within a few seconds,  but this will depend on your ISP.
 
I recommend trying the listserv search facilities because the
archives have a goldmine of useful beekeeping information and
many questions have already been answered.
 
Joe
 
SEARCHING FOR MESSAGES THAT CONTAIN A SPECIFIC WORD
 
Example --------------------------------------------------------
 
//SEARCH JOB ECHO=YES
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES CPULIM=10:000 OUTLIM=6000
//Rules DD   *
SEARCH VARROA IN BEE-L
INDEX
PRINT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
USING DATES
 
Example --------------------------------------------------------
 
//SEARCH JOB ECHO=YES
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES CPULIM=10:000 OUTLIM=6000
//Rules DD   *
SEARCH VARROA IN BEE-L SINCE 01-AUG-96
INDEX
PRINT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
The following date/time examples are valid-
 
FROM 14 july TO oct 87.
SINCE 86
UNTIL 23-JUN-87
SINCE today 11:30
 
SEARCHING BY SENDER
 
In order to retrieve messages by sender it is necessary to be
accurate when specifying the name.  The best way to do this is to send
a single line message to [log in to unmask] containing the
line REVIEW BEE-L.  This will return a list of the names and addresses
of all the list subscribers (apart from those who wish to remain anon.). I
have found that using the address from the left margin as far as the
'@' sign will do the trick.  Make sure to use the SaMe CaSe.  So it
might be 'john.major',  or if Tony Blair has a CompuServ address then
'106123.1234' for example.
 
 
Example --------------------------------------------------------
 
//SEARCH JOB ECHO=YES
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES CPULIM=10:000 OUTLIM=6000
//Rules DD   *
SEARCH * IN BEE-L WHERE SENDER CONTAINS (john.major)
INDEX
PRINT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
BUT if you write a complex search that exceeds the length of one
line it must be split up in such a way to let the Listserv know that
the next line is a continuation of the previous.  The way to do this
is to finish the line with a space and a hyphen and start the new line
with a space.
 
Example --------------------------------------------------------
 
//SEARCH JOB ECHO=YES
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES CPULIM=10:000 OUTLIM=6000
//Rules DD   *
SEARCH VARROA IN BEE-L -
 WHERE SENDER CONTAINS (john.major) -
 SINCE 01-AUG-1996
INDEX
PRINT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
SEARCHING FOR MESSAGES THAT CONTAIN
PARTICULAR WORDS IN THE SUBJECT
 
Example --------------------------------------------------------
 
//SEARCH JOB ECHO=YES
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES CPULIM=10:000 OUTLIM=6000
//Rules DD   *
SEARCH * IN BEE-L -
 WHERE SUBJECT CONTAINS 'VARROA' -
 SINCE 01-OCT-91
INDEX
PRINT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
RETRIEVING INDIVIDUAL POSTS
 
Example --------------------------------------------------------
 
//SEARCH JOB ECHO=YES
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES CPULIM=10:000 OUTLIM=6000
//Rules DD   *
SEARCH * IN BEE-L
PRINT xxxx, xxxx, xxxx
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------