NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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Hi all.

one of the annoying things about this forum, quite possibly the only annoyance, is the search engine. I don't blame anyone for this, but its very annoying.
Anyway, rather than just do nothing about it, I have created a new search engine using Google's new product, Google Coop.

Advantages:
-preview what your about to click on.
-flexible, more powerful search.

Disadvantages:
-can't search topics
-can't search specific sub-forums.(note that I tried to implement this, but unfortunately posts in sub-forums don't identify themselves via the URL. I decided to leave the attempt up incase there is a way to do this)
-can't search via user

Anyone who has any idea how to implement the disadvantages, ping me with your google username and I will add your to the contributors.

(sorry if this seems in the wrong subtopic, feel free to move it to 'The Site' or 'Anything' if you wish to do so)

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[Last edited by NiroZ at 10-27-2006 02:22 PM]

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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Updated to make it look nicer. I like to think it looks a lot more similar to these forums now.

Oh, and if anyone knows how to use the features under the advanced tab, I would appreciate it if I knew what possibilities lie there.

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
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I've volunteered to help as synt.xxx
Haven't used this particular tool, but will gladly look into it. Would be great to integrate this into the site once it's ready.

Good job so far

Schik
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5381
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Syntax wrote:
Would be great to integrate this into the site once it's ready.

I don't know, since this won't ever be able to search private boards, I don't think it's likely to replace the site's search functionality. I wouldn't mind enhancing our search, but the last time I tried people hated it. Can anyone point me toward a really good forum search that everyone here would like a lot? Preferably one with free source so I can see what they do different than us?

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Kevin_P86
Level: Smitemaster

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Registered: 06-28-2005
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I think the main thing that's missing from this is to search for all the words separately, rather than searching for the whole string (i.e. how Google works without quotes). And, of course, it'd be great to be able to put quotes around it to get it to find the whole string.

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NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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ok, fitted this with an image, looks alot nicer than that text block. As an added bonus, clicking on it leads you back to these forums.

Typically, the image was a breeze to setup, but when I wanted to have '(Image used with permission from Caravel Games)' in a smaller font, underneath 'Searching the Caravelnet official DROD forums', it started to muck up, and I discovered to problems.

1. Hitting enter = n
2. I have no idea how to make the font smaller

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
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Kevin_P86 wrote:
I think the main thing that's missing from this is to search for all the words separately, rather than searching for the whole string (i.e. how Google works without quotes). And, of course, it'd be great to be able to put quotes around it to get it to find the whole string.

Agreed! Switching from ANDs to ORs should hopefully be pretty straightforward...

[EDIT]

Well... switching to unordered ORs from ordered ANDs.

Or something

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[Last edited by Syntax at 10-28-2006 09:30 AM]

Briareos
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Syntax wrote:
Agreed! Switching from ANDs to ORs should hopefully be pretty straightforward...

Well... switching to unordered ORs from ordered ANDs.

Or something

I don't think just using "OR" is a good idea - at least add the ability to mark words and phrases as "mandatory" with a plus sign. Of course, you'd then have to select all posts containing the plussed words and order them according to the amount of nonplussed words they contain...

Ummm... did that make sense? (Morning, all... *yawns*)

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coppro
Level: Smitemaster
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Registered: 11-24-2005
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Well, I offerred to help up. Let me in! Let me in!

Kwakstur
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 385
Registered: 05-05-2006
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I'll necro this to say something.

We should pin this topic on The Site board.

When we haven't previously been to the topic we're looking for, this can help a lot.

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Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
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Better yet, we should have a link to the Google page on the Search page.

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