Dakka finally has a new search engine...

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**legoburner**

After a few weeks of hard, boring work implementing it, Dakka finally has a good search engine for forum posts. Try it out with the 'search' link above. The 'advanced mode' has a load of complex options which are covered here: http://lucene.apache.org/java/2_4_0/queryparsersyntax.html#Term%20Modifiers whereas the standard mode just does a literal comparison for what you have typed.

There are a couple of minor glitches now and then, all solved by clicking the reload button in your browser. Search time takes about 1 second per search but does not impact the sitewide database as it has its own database, so we can offer such a complex search without too much overhead.

You can now filter by date range, forum, user (click on a user profile then click 'search posts by this user'), relevancy (the more words in the content are equal to the search phrase, the higher the relevancy) and any combination of these terms.

You can also filter results by thread list or post content snippet. You can click 'show full post' in the search results to load just that post inline in the search results to save clicking all over the place. The 'view full thread' link obviously takes you away to that post within whatever thread it was posted in.

Let me know if you have any major problems. You can now blame people for not searching for topics before posting

**Chowderhead**

Thank god it's fixed. Works great!

**Jin**

I knew new systems were implemented (new link in profiles).

Thanks for the hard work lego! I'll try to break the system as much as possible to get all the kinks out!

**The Dreadnote**

Searching for the phrase "titan" in all forums gives me this error: java.lang.NullPointerException

I can get it to work if I search within a certain forum and reduce the date range.

Glad to see an improved search finally implemented though!

**legoburner**

Hit refresh if you get a nullpointerexception. It is an unavoidable issue that will continue to occur until our next server migration.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
ooo scratch that, you did find a proper bug, well done. Noted thanks.

**Jin**

So on "searching by thread" -

It seems to search for all posts with a given search word in its title (which is nice). Ie: I was testing out with "Transaction Report" (yeah, figure I'll give it a whirl with Swap Shop business) and it gives me every post with Transaction Report: Waaagh Lord as its title (as it's most recent). Is there a way to make the results just the initial posts of threads with 'Transaction Report' in the title?

**legoburner**

Search by thread is really just display by thread (same results, different format). The only way to search for initial posts with transaction report in the title would be an advanced search for something like: +"Transaction Report" -"Re: Transaction"

The thread titles and content are bound as one in the search index for efficiency's sake. As such, searching will test both title and content.

**Vindicator#9**

Nice job Lego! No more Google searching while on Dakka.....YAAAAY!

**Jin**

Gotcha. (still getting used to the advanced search options)

Good show! Thanks again.

**RiTides**

Wow, so much awesomeness!!!

Thanks, Lego

**Manchu**

A thousand blessings upon you for the mighty weal you have worked. (Been reading Thor of late.) Seriously, thanks so much for this huge improvement.

**Jin**

Found a bug:

org.apache.lucene.queryParser.TokenMgrError: Lexical error at line 1, column 36. Encountered: EOF after : "\"Reputable Traders List + Killjoy00"

Source error following:

**legoburner**

Error indeed. What search phrase and search options were you using?

**Jin**

Should have been "Reputable Traders List" + "Killjoy00" set for posts, descending dates and Standard and advanced Search options

**legoburner**

Can you replicate it now or was it a one-off error?

**Jin**

Doesn't seem to be happening now, though the options I was hoping for are not working out exactly as I want (completely different query syntax issue).

Incidentally, is it possible to have the link for the Query Parser Syntax in the Search Page?

**legoburner**

Yes I intend to add some copy pasted content that explains it a bit better at some point.

FWIW, in the search phrase you had above, there should have been a + immediately before both phrases for it to work in advanced mode, such as:
+"Reputable Traders List" +"Killjoy00"

**Jin**

Ah, thanks for the heads up. Too used to other search syntax that doesn't require that first +.

Thanks again!

**Ma55ter_fett**

This is nice.

Its good to know that the site is being updated constantly.

**RiTides**

I think some text explaining how to use the advanced search functions (like the "+") above would really help out people like me who can't seem to get the hang of it

Also, even though it was in the OP, I just discovered the "Search through all posts by (User Name)" under people's profile pages. This function is totally awesome!! Thanks

**micahaphone**

Thank you legoburner! Great job, it works so much better than the old system! You do a great job with the website, it is the best around!

**Eldar Own**

Yup it works just fine, ive given it a test run and searched for a few old threads of mine. Thanks, from me and all of dakka

**legoburner**

Search engine will be broken for at least the rest of today as I have to rebuild it after the server move. Bare with me!

**Chibi Bodge-Battle**

many thanks for your hard work Lego
will be worth not having had Dakka today while shifting servers and the new search engine being implemented

this is good news

**ChrisCP**

Thank-you legoburner~!