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Author Topic: The search function  (Read 2909 times)

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Offline Pan

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The search function
« on: May 08, 2012, 03:50:43 PM »
Hi all

I'd like to ask if anyone else has had trouble with the search function lately? I use the forum a great deal, as a resource, for information about artists, songs, and musicianship. Lately, I've encountered many instances , where the search function could't find topics that I know have been discussed here. Recent cases are such as "Lonzie Thomas" and " Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", just to cite some examples.
I must confess, that the "tag" function is a bit over my head, but I would still assume that the topics mentioned should be found by the search function. Or am I just plain wrong?

Cheers

Pan
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Offline Slack

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Re: The search function
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2012, 03:57:19 PM »
Pan, are you saying you get no topics when you enter those searches?

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Offline Pan

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Re: The search function
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2012, 04:17:01 PM »
Quote from: Slack on May 08, 2012, 03:57:19 PM
Pan, are you saying you get no topics when you enter those searches?

Yes, that's correct, although, I often haven't tried to do the search again. Instead I've referred to the "Weenepedia", which has the list of artists in question, and a link to the forum thread I knew would exist. A somewhat long route to some topics at times, but my "computer skills" might play a role at this.  :)

Cheers

Pan
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Offline Pan

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Re: The search function
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2012, 04:25:37 PM »
Maybe I should add, that I seem to remember that sometimes the search has seemed to be case sensitive regarding people's names, and other times not. Go figure. Most of the time the error message is something like "Sorry, no matches could be find. Did you mean to search for... (a misspelled name etc.).

Cheers

pan
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Offline Rivers

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Re: The search function
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2012, 04:40:58 PM »
I know about the problem, and there is a workaround. Do not start your search while down in a low level topic. For example starting a search while viewing this post will not find what you want.

The workaround is to go up to the main 'list of all boards' page and start your search from there.

What seems to happen is the contextual search gets confused if you're not looking down on all of the boards.
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Offline Gumbo

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Re: The search function
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2012, 04:48:17 PM »
using the search function at the top of the page i currently get one hit if i type in 'lonzie' (lower case) since I'm searching this topic. if i use the associated drop down menu and select 'entire forum' I get 16 hits for lonzie (most of which have a capital 'L'

what do you get, Pan?
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Offline Pan

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Re: The search function
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2012, 04:54:30 PM »
Quote from: Gumbo on May 08, 2012, 04:48:17 PM
using the search function at the top of the page i currently get one hit if i type in 'lonzie' (lower case) since I'm searching this topic. if i use the associated drop down menu and select 'entire forum' I get 16 hits for lonzie (most of which have a capital 'L'

what do you get, Pan?

Hi Gumbo.

Just now, I got exactly the same!

I really don't know what's going on!  :-\

Pan
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Offline Pan

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Re: The search function
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2012, 04:56:48 PM »
Quote from: Rivers on May 08, 2012, 04:40:58 PM
I know about the problem, and there is a workaround. Do not start your search while down in a low level topic. For example starting a search while viewing this post will not find what you want.

The workaround is to go up to the main 'list of all boards' page and start your search from there.

What seems to happen is the contextual search gets confused if you're not looking down on all of the boards.

Thanks Rivers.

I believe that most of tge times I've used the search function starting on the "main" forum page, since that's what I have bookmarked.

Cheers

Pan
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Offline Rivers

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Re: The search function
« Reply #8 on: May 08, 2012, 04:59:53 PM »
It's a bug, so all bets are off in terms of understanding its behavior. Start from the main board and it will, hopefully, work as you expect.

[Darn, now somebody's noticed I'd better try and fix it... :P]
« Last Edit: May 08, 2012, 05:02:41 PM by Rivers »
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Offline Pan

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Re: The search function
« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2012, 05:02:37 PM »
Quote from: Rivers on May 08, 2012, 04:59:53 PM
It's a bug, so all bets are off in terms of understanding its behavior. Start from the main board and it will, hopefully, work as you expect.

Thanks, Rivers!  :)

Cheers

Pan
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Offline Slack

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Re: The search function
« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2012, 05:06:15 PM »
Ah yes, rivers is correct, it is a bug, my memory is jogged.

Actually the best search is to pick Google from the drop down.  This option does not search the web, but uses Google to search this site only.  Give it a try.
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Offline Rivers

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Re: The search function
« Reply #11 on: May 08, 2012, 05:17:23 PM »
Whew more workarounds! Here's yet another workaround: Use the other search box. Look to the far right of the banner heading while viewing this post, you should see a pale-colored chevron or arrowhead. If the arrow is pointing down, click it, and a search box will appear that looks kind of like the one on left menu. If the arrow is pointing up you already see the top right search box. Type in 'lonzie', and select 'Entire Forum' from the dropdown list of contexts.

It works fine. So what's up with the one on the left menu?

Basically it's a hack. I extracted out the top right search from the standard forum code and made it into 'code block' so we could add search to the SimplePortal 'always visible' left menu, which everybody agrees is a good place for it. It works fine, except when you start an 'Entire Forum' search from within a low-level topic. I'll try debugging it on the weekend, apologies for the inconvenience, and thanks for calling it out.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2012, 05:31:33 PM by Rivers »
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Offline Slack

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Re: The search function
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2012, 05:22:00 PM »
Actually rivers, I think the top right search box has the sme problem.  I think it is a problem with SMF, the forum software's search.
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Offline Rivers

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Re: The search function
« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2012, 05:30:24 PM »
I just tried it (the top right search) and it worked! This is fun!
« Last Edit: May 08, 2012, 05:34:07 PM by Rivers »
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Offline Gumbo

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Re: The search function
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2012, 05:48:59 PM »
yowza - I never noticed that one on the left  :o
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