SMF Search plugin

Started by WAS, September 12, 2018, 01:25:30 PM

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WAS

I'm thinking of rewriting SMF's search function, as it's about the lamest search feature straight form 1999 that I have ever seen. Was curious what sort of features you'd want?

So far I was thinking of keeping it mostly the same from a visual stand-point, but offering more robust searches. Perhaps Matt and Oshyan will install it here some day.

Planned Features:

  • Alternate Words: For example "4" would also include "four" in the search. 4th would also include "fourth" and vice versa.
  • Thesaurus Additions: Words with prominent alternatives will also include said alternatives: Good - great. Yes - Ok. Etc.
  • Relevant Matches first. Exact matching results displayed first, not as they're found in the Database.

Random Feature Ideas

  • Image Search - Search by images and get corresponding topics where similar or exacting images exist
  • User profile bookmarks - Pin searched results, and topics around the forum to a "Bookmarks" list in your profile for future reference (only visible to you).

Oshyan

Agree, SMF search is terrible.

You might want to take a look at or even work on updating this search plugin:
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=887

We used to use it but it hasn't been updated in ages and I'm not sure it works with the latest SMF.

- Oshyan

WAS

#2
Quote from: Oshyan on September 12, 2018, 10:04:53 PM
Agree, SMF search is terrible.

You might want to take a look at or even work on updating this search plugin:
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=887

We used to use it but it hasn't been updated in ages and I'm not sure it works with the latest SMF.

- Oshyan

This seems to be doing almost everything I think the search engine should be doing, thanks for linking that. I'm having trouble installing SMF 2.0.15 under PHP7 under Windows 10, and I suspect it's something to do with windows. I manually installed PHP, apache, and all that like I usually do, but haven't installed a suite since Win7 as I had access to a few dedicated servers I was managing for a friend so didn't need anything on my home PC.

Might try WAMP again, though it used to be just terrible for building for a real server environment in my experience in the early 2000s. :P

I also see the plugin CMS can generate instructions for 2.0.15 so I can definitely test it's compatibility  and see what's buggy. I see their last updates were for fixes for PHP4 so I am assuming there is deprecated function use. Not always a bad thing but some deprecated functions I think are no longer standard use because of security concerns.

Oshyan

Sounds good, let us know if you do update the plugin, we'd love to use it again!

- Oshyan