Hiker Photo Archive

Basic site usage

If you want to search for a specific trail name in the entire archive, simply enter the trail name in the “Trail Name” field, click the “Search the entire archive” radio button (if it’s not already selected), then click the “Search Archive” button.

You would follow the same procedure when seaching for a specific first name or last name.

You can also search using both a first name and last name by entering each in the appropriate field.

Do likewise for other combinations: trail name and first name, trail name and last name.

You can even enter all three fields: trail name, first name, and last name.

The date-selection radio button items refine the search by date(s). (Only one item can be active at a time. Clicking one disables the others.)

Non-intuitive items

- Trail Name, First Name, and Last Name entries are not case sensitive. This means if you enter “super AT thru hiker” for the trail name, all character-case configurations of this trail name in the database will match. For example, the following would match your query:

Super AT Thru Hiker

super at thru hiker

SUPER AT THRU HIKER

(And so on.)

- Trail Name, First Name, and Last Name entries are “ANDing” operations. Entries in these fields will only match records in the database where all entered search fields are present. (This is opposed to “ORing” operations, which would match when one or more of the search fields are present.)

- Trail Name, First Name, and Last Name entries are optional. They can be all blanks, and the search will be with respect to the date selection only.

Advanced features

If you only have a partial name or are unsure of a spelling, there are two placeholder characters ("%" and "_") that can be inserted into the search string as listed below.

Using the percent (%) character
The % character is a placeholder in a query name that will match 0 or more characters.

Examples (using trail name, but the same applies for first and last names):

- The only thing you can remember is that the hiker’s trail name was Mighty “something”. It might have been Might Hiker, Mighty Man, Mighty Tired Walking. You just don’t remember.

If you enter mighty% in the Trail Name field, all hikers in the database that have a trail name beginning with “mighty” will match your query.

- The only thing you can remember is the hiker’s trail name was “something” South. It might have been “Heading South” or “Going South” or “Leaving the South”.

If you enter %south in the Trail Name field, all hikers in the database that have a trail name ending in “south” will match your query.

- The only thing you can remember is the hiker’s trail name was “something” Happy “something”.

If you enter %happy% in the Trail Name field, all hikers in the database that have “happy” as part of the trail name will match your query.

- You remember the trail name but you are unsure of the spelling. It could be “Quick Feet” or “Quickfeet” or “Quick-feet”.

If you enter quick%feet in the Trail Name field, all three of these name configurations will match.

(Remember, the % placeholder matches ZERO or more characters.)

- You remember the trail name was “The Great Trekker” or “The Great Hiker” or “The Great Walker”.

If you enter “the great %ker” all three of these configurations will match your query.

(And so on.)

Using the underscore (_) character
The _ character is a placeholder in a query name that matches any single character.

Examples:

- You remember the hiker’s last name was “Kline” or “Cline.

If you enter “_line” both spellings will match.

- You remember the hiker’s first name was two initials, either “A. J.” or “B. J.” or “R. J.”

If you enter “_. J.” all three of these configurations will match your query.

- You remember the hiker had a three-character trail name.

If you enter ___ (3 underscores) as the trail name, all three-character trail names will match your query.

(And so on.)

Final thoughts

- You can use the % and _ placeholders in the same query string.

- You can also use multiple % and _ placeholders in the same query name.

- Using placeholders can be tricky, and can result in some unexpected matches. If you don’t find what you want the first time, just alter your query and try again!