# MATCH

The `MATCH` field specifier (case sensitive) allows you to find documents in which the entirety of a specified field contains a value that exactly matches a specified string.

NOTE: You can optimize the field specifier speed by restricting the field to the MatchType property type. You can also optimize the field specifier by restricting the field to the ReferenceType property type, but only if you use only ReferenceType fields in the specifier.

To use the `MATCH` field specifier against fields that were added using the DREREPLACE index action, you must define the fields as MatchType.

## Format

    FieldText=MATCH{yourStrings}:yourFields

`yourStrings` | One or more strings. A document returns only if one of these strings matches one of `yourFields` exactly. The matching is case-insensitive. You can match strings that contain punctuation (but see the following note) or consist of several words. NOTE: To distinguish query syntax punctuation from punctuation within strings, double-percent-encode commas and curly braces within strings. Query syntax punctuation must be left unencoded. There must be no space before or after a separator comma.
`yourFields` | Type one or more fields. A document returns only if it contains one of these fields, and if the value in this field exactly matches one of `yourStrings`. Separate multiple fields with colons (there must be no space before or after a colon).

## Example

    FieldText=MATCH{Archive,Web,docs}:DIR:DIRECTORY

The `DIR` or `DIRECTORY` field must have the value `Archive` or `Web` or `docs` for the document to return as a result.

    FieldText=MATCH{Premier league}:DB

The `DB` field must have the value `Premier League` for the document to return as a result.

    FieldText=MATCH{0-226-10389-7}:ISBN

The `ISBN` field must have the value `0-226-10389-7` for the document to return as a result.

    FieldText=MATCH{Einstein%252C Albert}:AUTHOR

The `AUTHOR` field must have the value `Einstein, Albert` for the document to return as a result.

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