# Hyphens in query\_string **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [November 29, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/hyphens-in-query-string/6006 "2011-11-29T11:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![avasilenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/avasilenko/32/2901_2.png) [@avasilenko](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/avasilenko)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/hyphens-in-query-string/6006/1 "2011-11-29T11:00:26Z")
Hello, Is it possible to consider hyphen (separate by spaces) in query\_string as a hyphen, rather than lucene "minus" (like explained in lucene [http://lucene.apache.org/java/3\_4\_0/queryparsersyntax.html#-](http://lucene.apache.org/java/3_4_0/queryparsersyntax.html#-))? E.g. consider it as "minus", when it's followed by the word, not space. Reproduce: Consider following mapping - [https://gist.github.com/1404391#file\_mapping.json](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_mapping.json) and content [https://gist.github.com/1404391#file\_content.json](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_content.json) . Address contains hyphen, but it's cut down by standard tokenizer. Now try to query, using the same analyzer - [https://gist.github.com/1404391#file\_query.json](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_query.json) with no luck. IMHO it's because this hyphen is treated as lucene "minus". Escaping text with quotes gives proper results - [https://gist.github.com/1404391#file\_query\_with\_quotes.json](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_query_with_quotes.json) . Regards, Alexandr Vasilenko ---
**Author:** ![Karussell1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/50afbb/32.png) [@Karussell1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Karussell1)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/hyphens-in-query-string/6006/2 "2011-11-30T09:30:18Z")
I think the lucene query string parser works as this, why not implement it yourself on the client side? Do you need the query\_string query at all - why not use the term query (and index:no) if you always query the full string (or describe what you need)? Regards, Peter. On 29 Nov., 12:00, Alex Vasilenko [aa.vasile...@gmail.com](mailto:aa.vasile...@gmail.com) wrote: > Hello, > > Is it possible to consider hyphen (separate by spaces) in query\_string as a > hyphen, rather than lucene "minus" (like explained in lucenehttp://lucene.apache.org/java/3\_4\_0/queryparsersyntax.html#-)?E.g. > consider it as "minus", when it's followed by the word, not space. > > Reproduce: > Consider following mapping -[query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_mapping.jsonand) contenthttps://gist.github.com/1404391#file\_content.json. Address contains > hyphen, but it's cut down by standard tokenizer. > Now try to query, using the same analyzer -[query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_query.jsonwith) no luck. IMHO it's > because this hyphen is treated as lucene "minus". Escaping text with quotes > gives proper results -[query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_query_with_quotes.json). > > Regards, > Alexandr Vasilenko ---
**Author:** ![avasilenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/avasilenko/32/2901_2.png) [@avasilenko](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/avasilenko)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/hyphens-in-query-string/6006/3 "2011-11-30T09:50:55Z")
Hello Peter, Yes, I need query\_string, because it's used as search input in client. Term and exact match is preferred, but client doesn't support it now and I was looking for solution on server side, specifically in ES. But anyway I force client devs to use term instead :). Thanks, Alexandr Vasilenko 2011/11/30 Karussell [tableyourtime@googlemail.com](mailto:tableyourtime@googlemail.com) > I think the lucene query string parser works as this, why not > implement it yourself on the client side? > > Do you need the query\_string query at all - why not use the term query > (and index:no) if you always query the full string (or describe what > you need)? > > Regards, > Peter. > > On 29 Nov., 12:00, Alex Vasilenko [aa.vasile...@gmail.com](mailto:aa.vasile...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > Is it possible to consider hyphen (separate by spaces) in query\_string > > as a > > hyphen, rather than lucene "minus" (like explained in lucenehttp:// > > [Apache Lucene - Query Parser Syntax](http://lucene.apache.org/java/3_4_0/queryparsersyntax.html#-))?E.g. > > consider it as "minus", when it's followed by the word, not space. > > > > Reproduce: > > Consider following mapping - > > [query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_mapping.jsonand) contenthttps:// > > [query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](http://gist.github.com/1404391#file_content.json). Address contains > > hyphen, but it's cut down by standard tokenizer. > > Now try to query, using the same analyzer - > > [query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_query.jsonwith) no luck. IMHO it's > > because this hyphen is treated as lucene "minus". Escaping text with > > quotes > > gives proper results - > > [query\_all with hyphens · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/1404391#file_query_with_quotes.json). > > > > Regards, > > Alexandr Vasilenko ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/hyphens-in-query-string/6006/4 "2017-07-06T03:46:57Z")