Introduction

The use of Boolean query has been widely used by many search engines.  It is almost unimaginable that one can find things without the use of Boolean query in one form or another.  Yet, not everyone is well versed in the workings of even a simple Boolean search.  As part of the course requirement, we aimed to provide a simple illustration of how a Boolean search works through the use of a java applet. 

By using graphical display, it is hoped that the user could understand the concept of how a document is considered to match or not match a user defined Boolean query.  As it is designed to be an educational tool, several features were incorporated to make learning more transparent.  For example, both the query and document state are depicted in the same Boolean diagram.  User could easily identify whether the document matches the query (i.e. the document area is a subset of query area).  In addition, as the program scan through the document, the actual text of the document are presented with all the keywords highlighted.  Last but not least, there is a slider bar to control the rate which the document is retrieved.  This allowed more time for user who find it difficult to follow the flow of the search.