Optimising the Search Function

**tigr** · January 28th, 2011, 10:04 AM

enfys - Thanks for doing this!

**krissykins** · January 28th, 2011, 10:07 AM

This thread has inspired me to go on a tagging spree!

Of threads. Not buildings in my community. That's the story I'm sticking to.

**mira-chan** · January 28th, 2011, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by snowbear

My tip: If you want to search "SMT" but the search tells you the word is too short, use "*SMT*". The asterisk (*) is a wildcard and by using it you increase the search to over three characters, thereby circumventing the four-letter minimum.

To add to this, I've found the search senses spaces as characters when it quotes so " SMT " works just as well and goes pas the three character limit. I've used it for things like "cat ", with the space after the word giving a fourth character without producing results like "category".

**enfys** · January 28th, 2011, 10:37 AM

Thanks Snowbear and Mira

You're welcome tigr; I hope you find it helpful.

Whatever you say krissykins

Can anyone clarify on the usename thing I mentioned here? I don't want to give the wrong advice!

Eternallyverdan, before I post the username search, I just want to clarify something.

It only includes posts that say your name in the body of the text doesn't it? So not the posts you're made but the posts you've been quoted in? Finding the original posts is through a member's profile isn't it? I hope that made sense

**snowbear** · January 28th, 2011, 10:45 AM

The spacing only works if the word has a space after it "blah blah SMT, blah" won't work with the space and will only work with the asterisk.

Originally Posted by enfys

Thanks Snowbear and Mira

Can anyone clarify on the usename thing I mentioned here? I don't want to give the wrong advice!

You're somewhat correct. If you search "*snowbear*", you'll get any post in which someone mentioned me. If you go to the advanced search, you can search by user name--you don't have to go through their profile to do that.

**enfys** · January 28th, 2011, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by snowbear

The spacing only works if the word has a space after it "blah blah SMT, blah" won't work with the space and will only work with the asterisk.

Well spotted! I added in "and after"; is it correct now? I highlighted the spaces in the example but didn't write it. Oops!

Using quotes and a space before and after your search term, or *s around the words are seen as characters so will give results eg *SMT* and " SMT " will, SMT is too short

Originally Posted by snowbear

You're somewhat correct. If you search "*snowbear*", you'll get any post in which someone mentioned me. If you go to the advanced search, you can search by user name--you don't have to go through their profile to do that.

You don't have to use the *s do you? Or is there are reason to other than a too short name?

ETA: And thank you for helping again!

**snowbear** · January 31st, 2011, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by enfys

Well spotted! I added in "and after"; is it correct now? I highlighted the spaces in the example but didn't write it. Oops!

You don't have to use the *s do you? Or is there are reason to other than a too short name?

ETA: And thank you for helping again!

The * means it will search anything preceeding or following it. So, if I search *snowbear* I get could get the following results:
snowbear,
snowbear.
--snowbear
blahblahsnowbear

Using a space actually limits the results you get, as you'd only get results where the word you're searching for has a space next to it. As you can see above, that doesn't always happen.

ps. Your sentence syntax seems a little off: "...so will give results eg *SMT* and " SMT " will, SMT is too short".

ETA: And you're quite welcome!

**enfys** · January 31st, 2011, 01:31 PM

Ah, that makes sense. Last question on it

Is there any benefit to searching [*snowbear*] over searching [snowbear]. I can see why there is one over searching [ snowbear ].

I can also see why no-one knows how to search. This is flipping hard!

Also, is anyone familiar with any ways the post numbers of threads might help a search? I think I read you can use them somehow to search someone's name and bring up all their posts in that thread?

Originally Posted by snowbear

The * means it will search anything preceeding or following it. So, if I search *snowbear* I get could get the following results:
snowbear,
snowbear.
--snowbear
blahblahsnowbear

Using a space actually limits the results you get, as you'd only get results where the word you're searching for has a space next to it. As you can see above, that doesn't always happen.

ps. Your sentence syntax seems a little off: "...so will give results eg *SMT* and " SMT " will, SMT is too short".

ETA: And you're quite welcome!

**snowbear** · January 31st, 2011, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by enfys

Ah, that makes sense. Last question on it

Is there any benefit to searching [*snowbear*] over searching [snowbear]. I can see why there is one over searching [ snowbear ].

I can also see why no-one knows how to search. This is flipping hard!

Also, is anyone familiar with any ways the post numbers of threads might help a search? I think I read you can use them somehow to search someone's name and bring up all their posts in that thread?

Searching [snowbear] and [ snowbear ] yield the same result. Those asterisks really come in handy!

As for your second question, if you're wanting to search within a thread for your own (or someone else's) posts, here's how:

Open the thread
On the right, just under the page numbers (or where they would be if it's a short thread) is a dropdown menu that says "Search this thread"
Click "Advanced Search"
Under "Search by User Name", fill in the one you want
Click "Search Now"
Enjoy!