Search function questions

psyfly · January 30, 2011, 03:32 PM

How do I search for a specific reference (similar to "match all words" or "match exact phrase" function)?

Example: (Real attempt). I want to find any reference to "Savage .22 Hi Power".

When I try, I get responses for every savage reference, every .22 reference, every Hi reference, and every power reference. Somewhere in there there may (or may not) be a reference to a Savage .22 Hi Power.

Help.

Thanks,

Will
psyfly on TFL

egor20 · January 30, 2011, 03:44 PM

Use the "show post" function, you'll be able to pick and choose.

Hope this helps

psyfly · January 30, 2011, 11:31 PM

egor20:

Thanks, that helped a lot. The returns appeared to actually be related to my search criteria.

Best,

Will

**Mal H** · January 31, 2011, 12:50 AM

You can also use Google to search TFL. They obviously have a much better search engine than the one here. Simply add "site:thefiringline.com" at the beginning of your Google search string and you will only get returns from this site.

**tyme** · January 31, 2011, 11:00 AM

Why? Google is lousy for searching forums unless you're searching for an exact phrase.

Google does not have any direct concept of separation between posts. It can only approximate "search for these keywords in one single post" by preferring keywords that are in close proximity.

**Mal H** · January 31, 2011, 11:23 AM

Why? For the very reason psyfly pointed out in his first post. If you search for "Savage .22 Hi Power" here you will get the same results he did, the quotation marks are ignored. If you search for that string with Google, you will get returns with that string in them.

You're not seriously saying that the brain-dead search engine here is better in any way than Google's, are you?

**Mike Irwin** · January 31, 2011, 12:06 PM

VBulletin has a search engine?

I thought it was a random results generator...

**tyme** · January 31, 2011, 12:23 PM

Like I said, if you want to match multiple keywords in a single post, that aren't an exact phrase, you're better of using the forum's search engine.

MySQL fulltext search is theoretically better, but it's also deathly slow. vbulletin's native search is much worse, it doesn't honor quote marks either, and it will only guarantee that some of your search terms show up in each search result.

Ideally we should support matching exact phrases too, like google, but I really cannot take on any more projects right now.

This search engine SHOULD be "matching all words", psyfly. If it isn't, give me an example search and I'll look into it. It won't match an exact phrase (that I need to look into... my plate's already way too full), but it will (should) match all your keywords. I ran a search for "savage .22 hi power" and while it didn't honor the exact phrase matching like google would, all the hits that I skimmed seemed to contain all four words.

Mal, the difference with google is that if you do that search without quotes, it will only guarantee that the four words appear on the same PAGE, not the same POST.

Mike, our search engine isn't that bad, is it? You're going to make me cry.

The other options for vbulletin are mysql's default fulltext (not an option for multiple reasons --namely that it's slow and requires myisam tables--, although it DOES do exact phrase search and proximity ranking), and vbulletin's own abortion of a search engine, which is worse on all counts.

**Mike Irwin** · January 31, 2011, 12:54 PM

Hoomor...

U haz et notz...

**tyme** · January 31, 2011, 01:09 PM

Orly? I had my tear ducts surgically removed years ago.

January 30, 2011, 03:32 PM	#1
psyfly Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 598	Search function questions How do I search for a specific reference (similar to "match all words" or "match exact phrase" function)? Example: (Real attempt). I want to find any reference to "Savage .22 Hi Power". When I try, I get responses for every savage reference, every .22 reference, every Hi reference, and every power reference. Somewhere in there there may (or may not) be a reference to a Savage .22 Hi Power. Help. Thanks, Will psyfly on TFL __________________ Show me the data

January 30, 2011, 03:44 PM	#2
egor20 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2010 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,743	Use the "show post" function, you'll be able to pick and choose. Hope this helps __________________ Chief stall mucker and grain chef Country don't mean dumb. Steven King. The Stand

January 30, 2011, 11:31 PM	#3
psyfly Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 598	egor20: Thanks, that helped a lot. The returns appeared to actually be related to my search criteria. Best, Will __________________ Show me the data

January 31, 2011, 11:00 AM	#5
tyme Staff Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: Novalis 978-0553586251 Posts: 2,996	Why? Google is lousy for searching forums unless you're searching for an exact phrase. Google does not have any direct concept of separation between posts. It can only approximate "search for these keywords in one single post" by preferring keywords that are in close proximity. __________________ Proud reseller of little geisha dolls with big heads that wobble.

January 31, 2011, 12:06 PM	#7
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 14, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 33,097	VBulletin has a search engine? I thought it was a random results generator... __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 31, 2011, 12:50 AM	#4
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern VA Posts: 14,065	You can also use Google to search TFL. They obviously have a much better search engine than the one here. Simply add "site:thefiringline.com" at the beginning of your Google search string and you will only get returns from this site.

January 31, 2011, 11:23 AM	#6
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern VA Posts: 14,065	Why? For the very reason psyfly pointed out in his first post. If you search for "Savage .22 Hi Power" here you will get the same results he did, the quotation marks are ignored. If you search for that string with Google, you will get returns with that string in them. You're not seriously saying that the brain-dead search engine here is better in any way than Google's, are you?

January 31, 2011, 12:23 PM	#8
tyme Staff Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: Novalis 978-0553586251 Posts: 2,996	Like I said, if you want to match multiple keywords in a single post, that aren't an exact phrase, you're better of using the forum's search engine. MySQL fulltext search is theoretically better, but it's also deathly slow. vbulletin's native search is much worse, it doesn't honor quote marks either, and it will only guarantee that some of your search terms show up in each search result. Ideally we should support matching exact phrases too, like google, but I really cannot take on any more projects right now. This search engine SHOULD be "matching all words", psyfly. If it isn't, give me an example search and I'll look into it. It won't match an exact phrase (that I need to look into... my plate's already way too full), but it will (should) match all your keywords. I ran a search for "savage .22 hi power" and while it didn't honor the exact phrase matching like google would, all the hits that I skimmed seemed to contain all four words. Mal, the difference with google is that if you do that search without quotes, it will only guarantee that the four words appear on the same PAGE, not the same POST. Mike, our search engine isn't that bad, is it? You're going to make me cry. The other options for vbulletin are mysql's default fulltext (not an option for multiple reasons --namely that it's slow and requires myisam tables--, although it DOES do exact phrase search and proximity ranking), and vbulletin's own abortion of a search engine, which is worse on all counts. __________________ Proud reseller of little geisha dolls with big heads that wobble.

January 31, 2011, 12:54 PM	#9
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 14, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 33,097	Hoomor... U haz et notz... __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 31, 2011, 01:09 PM	#10
tyme Staff Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: Novalis 978-0553586251 Posts: 2,996	Orly? I had my tear ducts surgically removed years ago. __________________ Proud reseller of little geisha dolls with big heads that wobble.