NEAR operator

What is the specific function of NEAR?
I'm indexing across 3 text fields and expect hits for 'white NEAR black' and
only getting a hit when the two words are in the same field, but not if they
are spread across two of the fields.
How NEAR does the other word have to be?
Nearness is reflected in rank. The closer together two words are the higher
the rank everything else being equal.
Nearness is calculated on a per column basis, it cannot look across columns.
FreeText factors nearness into rank (everything else being equal) and can
look across columns. FreeText ignores the near operator however, as it is
calcuated in the rank.
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
"Bill D" <delaneWC-nospam@.mail.slh.wisc.edu> wrote in message
news:e2kX0QboEHA.3488@.TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> What is the specific function of NEAR?
> I'm indexing across 3 text fields and expect hits for 'white NEAR black'
and
> only getting a hit when the two words are in the same field, but not if
they
> are spread across two of the fields.
> How NEAR does the other word have to be?
>
|||Very helpful. I had found that using Freetext instead of Contains was
getting me more results. Thanks Hilary.
"Hilary Cotter" <hilary.cotter@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:Op2bxxboEHA.1576@.TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Nearness is reflected in rank. The closer together two words are the
higher
> the rank everything else being equal.
> Nearness is calculated on a per column basis, it cannot look across
columns.
> FreeText factors nearness into rank (everything else being equal) and can
> look across columns. FreeText ignores the near operator however, as it is
> calcuated in the rank.
> --
> Hilary Cotter
> Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
> http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
>
> "Bill D" <delaneWC-nospam@.mail.slh.wisc.edu> wrote in message
> news:e2kX0QboEHA.3488@.TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> and
> they
>