Many times I've seen members (and not always new ones) criticized for asking questions that have already been asked and answered. They are usually directed to search the site before posting a question. While this is good advice, I have found it to be essentially impossible. Unless I am very much mistaken, the GJ search function doesn't have much functionality. I have not been able to find, for instance, much information on how to use the search function!
I would love to be pointed to good, comprehensive instructions on searching.
In the meantime, here is my wish list for search functions:
1: search for exact phrase -- enclose the phrase in quotation marks. Could be case sensitive or not, as long is it's made clear which it is (or searcher option).
2: Option in above search to ignore punctuation and spaces. X-10 could be the same as X10 and X 10. Searcher option, or built-in option. Either way, as long as it's made clear.
3: Exclude words or exact phrases. Precede the word or phrase with a minus sign or dash.
4: Find any or all of a list of words. Enclose the list in parentheses, join words with a plus sign to find posts containing all; join words with a space to find posts containing any.
5: To catch misspellings, option to consider the letter O and zero as the same character. Also dash and minus sign, and double and single letters (spelling would also find speling).
Syntax - the search terms could be strung together with the operators like an equation: (vise vice) +prentiss -"swivel jaw"
This would find posts that mention Prentiss vises (spelled either British or American) that don't have swivel jaws. It would find them with swivel bases and where swivel isn't mentioned at all.
Many ways to do it; eBay has check boxes (IIRC) for "all words, any order", "any words, any order" and "all words, exact order". Some people find equations hard to use, so this sort of searching gets around it.
I usually try to search for answers before asking questions, but usually can't find anything relevant even when I'm certain it's been covered.
Things I DO like about searching as it is currently:
Able to find posts or threads by a given member (I use this all the time to find my posts so I can reply to questions or comments)
Able to search individual forums (forae?)
Search terms show up in red (at least in Classifieds)
The programming to accomplish this could be easy or hard; I'm not enough of a programmer to know. I realize this site is a LOL (no- the other LOL; Labor Of Love) and there are limits to the time and expense that can be put into it; just trying to be helpful.
I would love to be pointed to good, comprehensive instructions on searching.
In the meantime, here is my wish list for search functions:
1: search for exact phrase -- enclose the phrase in quotation marks. Could be case sensitive or not, as long is it's made clear which it is (or searcher option).
2: Option in above search to ignore punctuation and spaces. X-10 could be the same as X10 and X 10. Searcher option, or built-in option. Either way, as long as it's made clear.
3: Exclude words or exact phrases. Precede the word or phrase with a minus sign or dash.
4: Find any or all of a list of words. Enclose the list in parentheses, join words with a plus sign to find posts containing all; join words with a space to find posts containing any.
5: To catch misspellings, option to consider the letter O and zero as the same character. Also dash and minus sign, and double and single letters (spelling would also find speling).
Syntax - the search terms could be strung together with the operators like an equation: (vise vice) +prentiss -"swivel jaw"
This would find posts that mention Prentiss vises (spelled either British or American) that don't have swivel jaws. It would find them with swivel bases and where swivel isn't mentioned at all.
Many ways to do it; eBay has check boxes (IIRC) for "all words, any order", "any words, any order" and "all words, exact order". Some people find equations hard to use, so this sort of searching gets around it.
I usually try to search for answers before asking questions, but usually can't find anything relevant even when I'm certain it's been covered.
Things I DO like about searching as it is currently:
Able to find posts or threads by a given member (I use this all the time to find my posts so I can reply to questions or comments)
Able to search individual forums (forae?)
Search terms show up in red (at least in Classifieds)
The programming to accomplish this could be easy or hard; I'm not enough of a programmer to know. I realize this site is a LOL (no- the other LOL; Labor Of Love) and there are limits to the time and expense that can be put into it; just trying to be helpful.