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;doc:queries: fix the explanation of boolean queries and space-separated terms

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Simon Michael 2025-04-22 12:15:03 -10:00
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hledger/hledger.m4.md
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@ -5406,19 +5406,37 @@ The [print](#print) command is a little different, showing transactions which:
## Boolean queries ## Boolean queries
These are more complicated query expressions made by combining smaller queries You can write more complicated "boolean" query expressions, enclosed in quotes and prefixed with `expr:`.
with AND, OR, NOT (case insensitive), and parentheses for grouping. These can combine subqueries with NOT, AND, OR operators (case insensitive), and parentheses for grouping.
The query expression must be written inside quotes, following a prefix (not as separate command line arguments). Eg, to show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:
Also, there is a restriction: `date:` queries may not be used inside OR expressions.
```cli
hledger print expr:'cash AND expenses'
```
The prefix and enclosing quotes are required, so don't write `hledger print cash AND expenses`.
That would be a [space-separated query](#space-separated-queries)
showing transactions involving accounts with any of "cash", "and", "expenses" in their names.
You can write space-separated queries *inside* a boolean query,
and they will combine as described above, but it might be confusing and best avoided.
Eg these are equivalent, showing transactions involving cash or expenses accounts:
```cli
hledger print expr:'cash expenses'
hledger print cash expenses
```
There is a restriction with `date:` queries: they may not be used inside OR expressions.
<!-- That would allow disjoint report periods or unclear semantics for our reports. --> <!-- That would allow disjoint report periods or unclear semantics for our reports. -->
There are three types of boolean query: `expr:`, `any:`, `all:`. Actually, there are three types of boolean query:
`expr:` for general use, and `any:` and `all:` variants which can be useful with `print`.
### expr: query ### expr: query
**`expr:'QUERYEXPR'`**\ **`expr:'QUERYEXPR'`**\
For example, `expr:'date:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)'` means For example, `expr:'date:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)'` means
"match things which are dated in the last month and do not have food or rent in the account name". "match things which are dated in the last month and do not have food or rent in the account name".
(AND is the default, so could be omitted here.)
When using `expr:` with transaction-oriented commands like `print`, When using `expr:` with transaction-oriented commands like `print`,
posting-oriented query terms like `acct:` and `amt:` are considered to match the transaction posting-oriented query terms like `acct:` and `amt:` are considered to match the transaction