Search finds a match — Computing, 4–6
A search helps you find one thing among many by looking for a word, picture or sound that matches.
What a search does
When you search, the computer looks through lots of stored things for a match. You give it a clue, such as “cats”, and it shows things connected with that clue. The shorter or clearer your clue is, the easier it is to find what you want.
Why search is useful
People made search tools because computers can hold far more pictures, songs and pages than anyone can look through one by one. Without search, finding one favourite picture could take a very long time. Search turns a huge pile into a smaller list to check.
Search step by step
Imagine a tablet with 20 animal pictures. First, tap the search box. Next, type “fish”. The computer checks the picture labels and shows the five labelled fish. If you type “red fish”, it may show only two, because both clues must match.
A search is not guessing
You might think the computer understands exactly what you mean, like a person who knows you. It usually matches the words, labels or sounds it has been given. So “puppy” may miss pictures labelled “dog”; that is not foolish, just a different clue.
Search outside school
You use search when you look for a song, a recipe, a picture in a photo collection or a game on a device. In a library, a librarian can search a catalogue in a similar way. Remember that a search can find a match, but an adult may need to help decide whether the result is trustworthy.
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