Directly find specific phases

If you already know that one or the other phase is present in your sample, you can search for it and display it directly, so that you can compare its diffraction pattern to your experimental data and maybe select it as 'matching'.

To bring up a certain phase directly, press <Ctrl+F> (or press the button at the right-hand side of the toolbar at the top). Afterwards, start typing the name, the formula sum or the entry number of the compound. Mark the corresponding phase in the list that is displayed automatically, then press <Return>.

Match! will display and mark the first matching entry in the candidate list at the bottom left. The corresponding diffraction pattern will be displayed in the pattern graphics above, so you can compare it to the experimental pattern and maybe select it as 'matching'.

At this point, you are now ready to e.g.

• Visually compare the corresponding pattern(s) to the experimental pattern (and/or have a look at the corresponding figure-of-merit values that are calculated automatically).
• Select the corresponding entries as "matching phases" by pressing the <Space> bar.
• Display the data sheet for a certain single entry by pressing <Ctrl+D>
• Correct 2theta errors by using the highlighted entry as an internal standard, simply by pressing <Ctrl+T>

Adding phases to the match list directly

If you already know for sure right from the beginning that one (or more) phase(s) is/are present in your sample, you can add it/them to the list of matching phases (i.e. the match list) directly, without the need to e.g. run a search-match calculation. To do so, you can either run the menu command "Search / Select phase/entry directly", or simply press <Ctrl+E> (<Cmd+E> on the Mac).

In the window that opens, please enter the name, the formula sum or the entry number you would like to add (select as 'matching'), then press <Return>. You can also give multiple names or entry numbers separated by semicolon (';') at this point.

If only one entry is in agreement with the information you have entered (e.g. entry number), it will be added to the match list immediately. However, if there are multiple entries that match your criterion (e.g. when entering a mineral name or multiple entry numbers), a new window will open in which you can select the entry(s) you would like to add (select as 'matching').

Note: It is perfectly possible to use Match!'s restraining facilities without any diffraction data, i.e. to use Match! as a comfortable retrieval software for the reference pattern database.