# Java client - creating complex bool queries

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [February 10, 2016, 5:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349 "2016-02-10T05:05:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dinushan\_m](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dinushan_m/32/8095_2.png) [@dinushan\_m](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dinushan_m)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 5:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349/1 "2016-02-10T05:05:27Z")

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Let's say we want to match something like this ,  
(name="Adam" OR name="Bob) OR (age=21 && [email="email@gmail.com](mailto:email=%22email@gmail.com)")

How to "merge" the expressions in parenthesis with and OR operation

BoolQueryBuilder queryBuilder1 = QueryBuilders.boolQuery()  
.should(QueryBuilders.matchQuery("name","Adam"))  
.should(QueryBuilders.matchQuery("name","Bob"));

BoolQueryBuilder queryBuilder2 = QueryBuilders.boolQuery()  
.must(QueryBuilders.matchQuery("age","21"))  
.must(QueryBuilders.matchQuery("email","email@gmail.com"));

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 6:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349/2 "2016-02-10T06:19:03Z")

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You can wrap the two query builders in another bool query with should clauses.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dinushan\_m](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dinushan_m/32/8095_2.png) [@dinushan\_m](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dinushan_m)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 8:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349/3 "2016-02-10T08:10:22Z")

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Thank you for the answer. Can you please explain one more thing?

How can I match something like ,

(name="Adam" OR name!="Bob")

BoolQueryBuilder queryBuilder1 = QueryBuilders.boolQuery()  
.should(QueryBuilders.matchQuery("name","Adam"))  
.shouldNot ??? (QueryBuilders.matchQuery("name","Bob")); // ????

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 8:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349/4 "2016-02-10T08:43:56Z")

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Looks like you could add a boolQuery with a single mustNot clause?

(As NotQuery has been deprecated)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dinushan\_m](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dinushan_m/32/8095_2.png) [@dinushan\_m](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dinushan_m)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349/5 "2016-02-10T11:00:22Z")

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Very well. Thanks again.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-client-creating-complex-bool-queries/41349/6 "2017-07-05T23:17:39Z")

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