New Search Engine

[Erel]

The online search engine was rewritten. This is really a state of the art engine based on the latest version of Lucene.

Some of the "under the hood" features that were not available before:

• fuzzy queries - copes with typos.
  
• boosting by recency, back links, poster and sub-forum
• better parser
• links to posts inside the results

There are many possible ways to fine tune this engine and improve it.

Your feedback is welcomed...

 

[thedesolatesoul]

Definitely better than before.
Can I ask if it is possible to add keywords to make it search in a different way?
Like intitle or startedby?
Also, boosting by 'likes' might make sense in the new forum.

 

[Erel]

Both the title and the post author are considered during a query.

Just write the author name and optionally other terms and it should find the requested posts.

Also, boosting by 'likes' might make sense in the new forum.

I completely agree. I will test it when this feature will be more widespread.

 

[thedesolatesoul]

If i search for Erel i get 24,000 posts!
Btw...i dont know if other people do but i go uptil the 7th page of search results.

 

[Ionut Indigo]

Hi Erel, so the top-right search field will be only way to search the forum?
Why not use THIS example of search (that i believe it's a XenForo add-on)?

 

[Erel]

In 99% of the cases that I tested the current search engine (which is tailored exactly to our needs) was much better than the built-in engine.

 

[Ionut Indigo]

I might be one of the 1% that find the search engine not very user friendly and much harder to find stuff (and not because this is a new change).
The design of the search results is not the same as the forum, and it's like jumping from site to site.
There has to be options for the search like Ordering the results, Search individual forums, find a thread between the date of X and Y, posted by Z member, has/hasn't have replies. A forum needs a forum search engine.
I understand that a lot of work has gone into perfecting the online search engine, but if XenForo has a build-in search engine, why not use it?
You can even disable it for non-registered/licensed users.

 

[Erel]

If you have any specific use case (with an example) then please post it. The current engine can be improved.

The default forum search is much worse. They are on completely different levels. Believe me, I made many tests. Adding it will cause confusion in most cases.

 

[Ionut Indigo]

If it can be change the search results page to look like the forum and not a different site, add the search options like Ordering the results, Search individual forums, find a thread between the date of X and Y, posted by Z member, has/hasn't have replies. The vB forum search was doing it right, the new one doesn't feel part of the forum/community and it's like searching for B4A results on Google.
I feel a little bit cheated, because the vB search isn't there and there is something new with no options, and it's like "we're gonna take this working forum search, and replacing with THIS. Deal with it!" For me now, searching is a pain in the you know what.
But like other sites that change stuff that no one asked for (Google, Facebook, Twitter), i will get used to the new changes, but i'll never stop cursing them!

 

[timsteeman]

This was exactly what i meant yesterday. Search on a part of the Forum. You deleted an option, and i must see it as an improvement.
Is Basic4ppc.com taken over by Microsoft... Just kidding!

 

[timsteeman]

In 99% of the cases that I tested the current search engine (which is tailored exactly to our needs) was much better than the built-in engine.

Maybe your 99% is not exactly tailored to our needs?

 

[Erel]

Your feedback is clear and I appreciate it. However there is no need to post it again and again...

 

[timsteeman]

Dear Erel,
You are only reacting on how i things say, not on what i ask.
But i understood the message.

 

[Ionut Indigo]

When i search, upon clicking the search result, I sometimes get THIS error. Maybe it was a deleted post, but it appears in the search results.

 

[Erel]

Can you post a screenshot? The link takes me to the thread.

 

[Ionut Indigo]

I get this error. I can only view the thread by clicking on Go To First Post.

 

[Erel]

Do you get this error when you press on this link: http://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/add-shadow-to-a-label-text.30395/#post-176501 ?

 

[Ionut Indigo]

No. This link you gave me works. This doesn't, and i tough it was strange to appear in the search results and not work. Just a small bug report.

 

[Erel]

You are correct. There is a bug. It worked for me because my forum permissions are different in this case...

It will be soon fixed.

 

[Erel]

The search results page is now based on the forum style.