# Query\_string search with wildcard uses ConstantScoreQuery score

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-string-search-with-wildcard-uses-constantscorequery-score/4506>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [May 31, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-string-search-with-wildcard-uses-constantscorequery-score/4506 "2011-05-31T18:05:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@mbro](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mbro)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-string-search-with-wildcard-uses-constantscorequery-score/4506/1 "2011-05-31T18:05:35Z")

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We're using queryString search and noting that a ConstantScoreQuery is  
done when a wildcard '\*' is appended to a term. Because  
ConstantScoreQuery only takes into account the field boost, results  
matching on a given field aren't ranked within that field (every  
result matching on the same field has the same score).

For example, if we search for 'cyclist\*', the explain text shows that  
a ConstantScoreQuery is done:

Eric Biggs: 0.25 = max of:  
0.25 = ConstantScoreQuery(tagSet:cyclist\*^5.0), product of:  
5.0 = boost  
0.05 = queryNorm  
Lorri Benyaker: 0.25 = max of:  
0.25 = ConstantScoreQuery(tagSet:cyclist\*^5.0), product of:  
5.0 = boost  
0.05 = queryNorm

But if we search for 'cyclist', then a weighted query is done:

Lorri Benyaker: 0.29494813 = max of:  
0.29494813 = weight(tagSet:cyclist^5.0 in 179), product of:  
0.20186047 = queryWeight(tagSet:cyclist^5.0), product of:  
5.0 = boost  
6.748756 = idf(docFreq=4, maxDocs=1569)  
0.005982154 = queryNorm  
1.4611485 = fieldWeight(tagSet:cyclist in 179), product of:  
3.4641016 = tf(termFreq(tagSet:cyclist)=12)  
6.748756 = idf(docFreq=4, maxDocs=1569)  
0.0625 = fieldNorm(field=tagSet, doc=179)  
Eric Biggs: 0.26329386 = max of:  
0.26329386 = weight(tagSet:cyclist^5.0 in 177), product of:  
0.20186047 = queryWeight(tagSet:cyclist^5.0), product of:  
5.0 = boost  
6.748756 = idf(docFreq=4, maxDocs=1569)  
0.005982154 = queryNorm  
1.3043358 = fieldWeight(tagSet:cyclist in 177), product of:  
4.1231055 = tf(termFreq(tagSet:cyclist)=17)  
6.748756 = idf(docFreq=4, maxDocs=1569)  
0.046875 = fieldNorm(field=tagSet, doc=177)

Is there any way to change this behavior so query terms ending with an  
asterisk use a weighted score?

Thanks.

Mike

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**Author:** ![Clinton\_Gormley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 9:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-string-search-with-wildcard-uses-constantscorequery-score/4506/2 "2011-06-01T09:31:04Z")

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Hi Mike

> Is there any way to change this behavior so query terms ending with an  
> asterisk use a weighted score?

Use the edge-ngram analyzer to index your data

You may then want to use a bool query to boost whole-word matches, eg:

"query" : {  
"bool" : {  
"must" : [  
{  
"field" : {  
"tokens.ngram" : "+foo +bar"  
}  
}  
],  
"should" : [  
{  
"field" : {  
"tokens" : {  
"boost" : 1,  
"query" : "foo bar"  
}  
}  
}  
]  
}  
}

clint

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**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, 4:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/query-string-search-with-wildcard-uses-constantscorequery-score/4506/3 "2017-07-06T04:05:04Z")

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