Joomla Forum Search not Consistent

[focalguy]

I had this problem a couple months ago  but could not repeat it so I didn't post anything.

Sometimes when I am searching for a topic that I know exists (like one I have started in the past) the search will not return it! If I search a couple days later, it will work with the same search words.

I'm not sure if anyone can recreate this but last night I was searching for a post of mine regarding an "sms component". I found it, but also noticed another post about a greek sms component. I remembered that today and tried to find it again by doing the same search for "sms component" and found only one post when only yesterday it had found about 4. I tried "sms greek" and finally found it but it contains the word component as well.

Anyone else experienced this? Is there a technical reason? I know I'm not crazy....

[TomT]

The search function of this forum is very poor. I had the same problem as you: I had seen a post a couple of days before but couldn't find it again. And I get the 'Your query was not specific enough' so often, especially with specific questions!?!
So I did a little search about this and find many complaints about the search function. Looks like SMF needs a better search function.

[Tonie]

I know it is not perfect, I do know that there is one bug in the search part. When you type something which can't be found, it returns:

Your query was not specific enough. Try using larger words, or less common phrases.

Which probably should be:

Sorry dude, couldn't find anything.

[TomT]

Thanks Tonie, I allready had the idea that this sentence was the general error message  .

'Not perfect' is an understatement, I think we can call it bad. And it certainly must be further developed. The search function is the most important part of a forum. It's bad enough some visitors post a question without searching first, but now we have the same question posted several times just because older posts can't be found.

[focalguy]

Yes Tonie, I am familiar with that bug. What about it returning results one day and then none the next with the same terms? Does it just quit searching part way through before it finds it? I'm starting to wonder if this is adding to questions asked that have been answered in the past - if they can't find the answer with a search then they will post the question...?

Thanks TomT - at least it seems others have seem the same issue.... and you posted as I was writing this so I see we have another similar concern

[AmyStephen]

FocalGuy - Bobby said somewhere - I can't find it right now! < lol > - that he could do some kind of add on to help with the search function. We ought to see what he recommends. I will PM him with this link. I think its 2am in his neck of the woods right now. Amy

[brad]

SMF 1.1 Stable will hopefully address some of these issues.

[AmyStephen]

brad - is that what bobby was talking about? or, do you have any idea what bobby was saying? lol thanks ... amy

[brad]

lol, who's bobby?

[AmyStephen]

Sorry. Damienov.

[focalguy]

Ok. I guess that's just a problem too big to fix on our own Look forward to the stable release!

[Damienov]

no tricks realy
just use quotes in the search "sms component"
and set it to oldest first

I think the default behaviour of the smf search is that it display the newest post first. so its hard to search older ones
I did a search for you and I got this
http://www.mollie.nl/
I dont understand what the site said tho 

but there is an old JAVA aplication for mambo that a Friend of mine, Jimmy Auw made for his colege thesis
http://mamboxchange.com/projects/javasms/

hope that helps 

[AmyStephen]

Found it!

From Bobby( aka Damienov; aka Mr. Lightsaber. )
I think the maker of SMF have made an SSI hooks so thing like this can be done. Perhaps making some sort of module to show important subjects
http://www.simplemachines.org/community ... ic=12936.0
http://www.simplemachines.org/community ... ic=13016.0
http://www.simplemachines.org/community ... ic=13205.0

[focalguy]

no tricks realy
just use quotes in the search "sms component"
and set it to oldest first

I think the default behaviour of the smf search is that it display the newest post first. so its hard to search older ones
I did a search for you and I got this
http://www.mollie.nl/
I dont understand what the site said tho 

but there is an old JAVA aplication for mambo that a Friend of mine, Jimmy Auw made for his colege thesis
http://mamboxchange.com/projects/javasms/

hope that helps 

Thanks Bobby, I'll give those links a try once I get the time. I've already been working on a new one as my needs are specific to use the CB table to get the numbers and things.

But the point is I did search for it with and without the quotes and it did not find the post that contained that phrase. There are only a couple posts with those words so all the results would be on one page.