You can use VBase for complex searches on variants, according to their distribution among the manuscripts. Here is the search used to find the most important group in our analysis of the Tales, the o group:

• The first line specifies that the variant must be in at least 2 (">1"") of the core trio Ch El Hg.
• The second line specifies that the variant must be in "<15" of "\all" manuscripts. If it is in more than 14 manuscripts then it is an original reading found widely across the tradition. But if it is in fewer than 15 manuscripts, it may be an original reading but likely to have been miscopied. We have found that many readings likely to be original are present only in around seven manuscripts, with Ch El Hg at their core. This search is designed to identify those readings.
• The buttons below the search load and perform pre-set searches, for the o a b cd groups. If you want to save a search for later, copy the address bar after you have carried out the search. For example, "vBase.html?name=null&vsite=false&nconds=3&in0=true&spec0=>1&wits0=Hg%20Ch%20El&in1=true&spec1=<15&wits1=\all&in2=true&spec2=&wits2=Gg&in3=undefined&spec3=undefined&wits3=undefined" will find you all the o variants present in Gg (you likely will need to paste that address after the "/GP/" path in your address bar).

Variant site search is a new VBase tool, introduced in this second edition.

Sometimes you want to find places where one set of manuscripts has one reading and a second set a different reading. Consider this search:

The first line specifies that we are looking for places where there are variants ("variant sites") where Ash and Ham agree on a reading.

The second line specifies that we are looking for variant sites where, as well as Ash and Ham agreeing in one reading, Mart/Mart-c2 and Triv agree in a separate reading.

(Notice how the search result changes when you select and unselect "Find variant sites.")