http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=32491

In Getting to Super Search, I mentioned that I felt a strong search was essential to the success of PerlMonks as an archived resources (okay, I didn't say it so elegantly).

Today, I thought I remembered something from the infamous "running with scissors" thread, so I went to find it. A super search for: running with scissors gave me a bunch of perlman pages (why?) and the code Running with Scissors (Listing "1 word matched" ???) but not "running with scissors".

So I think we should put some effort into improving Super Search. What kinds of features would be good to add?

Comments?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
(kudra: features are fine as long as they aren't just matching one need) RE: Revisiting Super Search
by kudra (Vicar) on Sep 14, 2000 at 20:24 UTC
    I'd like to see results sorted by Rep. (Regardless of whether I know the rep, lets not go there again).
    I'd rather see them by (reverse) date, or better yet by threading (so I'd see the first post to mention the topic before I'd see the replies to it) if possible. So it seems to me the same choices that are available when viewing the one person's postings would be good. Of course, not all posts have a reputation (like perlman)--where would these fit into the rep sort?

    I'd also like to be able to search posts by author. (If, for example, I remember that chromatic made a good post about typeglobs that had something I specifically wanted, but I don't remember that it was Re: Validating a Code Reference, and I don't want to go through the listing of his 600 nodes, and everyone talks about typeglobs, so a general search isn't as helpful. This happens more often then you think, although that node is a bad example, because it's easy to find)
    And I'd rather see that as an option when searching for nodes by an author...

    I'd like to not have all the perlman pages show up so often
    As a configurable option. Sometimes that's just what you're looking for.
      I'd rather see them by (reverse) date, or better yet by threading

      Ooh, good ideas. Although I imagine threading would be more difficult since this is coming out of a relational database..

      And I'd rather see that as an option when searching for nodes by an author...

      Fine by me, although I suspect it'll be the same engine behind it.

      I'd like to not have all the perlman pages show up so often
      As a configurable option. Sometimes that's just what you're looking for.

      I meant that as a comment that they show up inexplicably. I had many man pages show up when I looked for running with scissors. Neither "running" nor "scissors" were there. (And I imagine that "with" is in a lot more posts that I got as returns.)

      Of course, not all posts have a reputation (like perlman)--where would these fit into the rep sort?

      If they are showing up as a result for good reason (see above), then I'd say they should be ranked first. The Perl man pages are great, as long as they have some relevance to what you seek.

RE: Revisiting Super Search
by athomason (Curate) on Sep 17, 2000 at 23:47 UTC
    Wow, so there actually is support for such an idea. I raised the issue three months ago at Search Options, but no one replied! Some specifics related to your suggestions:

    • I'd like to see results sorted by Rep.
      I'd rather have a set of options for ranking, like post date, rep, hits per page, etc.
    • I'd also like to be able to search posts by author.
      A great idea.
    • I'd like to not have all the perlman pages show up so often.
      More generally, I'd like to be able to sift out nodes based on what area they were in (with a multi-select fieldmajigger). That way you wouldn't find Running With Scissors when you were looking for "running with scissors".
      I'd like to not have all the perlman pages show up so often.
      More generally, I'd like to be able to sift out nodes based on what area they were in (with a multi-select...

      At the risk of making this thread needlessly long, I'd like to see search return all matches by default.
      (Of course turning off the categories you don't want to see is also important)

      My opinions are expressed on behalf of:

      • myself - old hand at perl, new to perlmonks
      • my co-workers - new to perl, users, but not active participants of perlmonks

      All the best,
      DouglasDD

RE: Revisiting Super Search
by tye (Sage) on Sep 14, 2000 at 20:23 UTC

    Yes, change the check box for "only root nodes" to be radio buttons for "root nodes", "replies", or "both" and have check boxes for each section and a field to enter an author name.

    I've also noticed Super Search not returning super results.

            - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")
RE: Revisiting Super Search
by t0mas (Priest) on Sep 14, 2000 at 20:39 UTC
    While we're at it, I would like Super Search to search the Location field on the home nodes. That would make that field somewhat more useful, like locating all monks in a city or country :)

    /brother t0mas
RE: Revisiting Super Search
by turnstep (Parson) on Sep 15, 2000 at 00:50 UTC

    Doing a Super Search for "running with scissors" returns the actual starting node as the second match. (a reply by kudra was the first). You have to add the quotes, however, for the original post title had quotes, which makes this not a very good example. Also, a normal search for running with scissors works with and without quotes. It looks as though you may have jumped to Super Search too quickly in this case.

      Also, a normal search for running with scissors works with and without quotes.It looks as though you may have jumped to Super Search too quickly in this case.

      That depends on what you are looking for. I was looking for the thread by merlyn, and without quotes, Search took me to Running with Scissors, which is a different node entirely, so I had no choice but to use Super Search (I didn't remember quotes, and I'm not likely to in the future.)