Okay so I have bought a few other search components to test them out.
- cb core search
- cb advanced search plugin
- cb mod_ezsearch
- cb mod_search
- stock cb search.
none of them work easily or as expected.
it al boils down to 3 choices, each of the 3 are lacking in some way.
when searching inside a cb userlist.
Option 1
Simple Exact match only "is" and ranges
This options produces ONLY the exact match to what is typed.
If the field you are searching contains this word and any other words
the results will not display.
this is what could be called STRICT search.
example: User is looking for Rick sporting goods.
-typed- ricks...no results
-typed- sporting goods... no results
-typed- Ricks sporting goods... result appear
Option 2
Simple any word match. Only "and of" and ranges
I am not clear as to the purpose of this field as one would think that this would provide the most flexible of searches.
Its intent is to display result matching any of the words entered in the search.
typed- ricks...all users appear
typed- sporting goods...all users appear
typed- ricks sporting goods...all users appear
Option 3
Advanced. All possibilities.
this provides the most options when performing a search , but also the most confusion for regular users.
you are presented with a drop down for each field that you can specify different methods of searching for your word.
although this did provide me with the proper search results..it was by no mean easy to understand or pretty.
search ricks...drop set to "contains phrase"
all users with Ricks in their searchable displayed fields appear
searched sporting goods...drop set to "contains phrase".
all users with sporting goods in their searchable displayed fields appear.
Option 3 is the best bet for getting a good search, but it also the one the users will avoid.
Options 3 settings should be able to be set in the backend for a custom search setup, as the stock searching doesnt have an option for a regular flexible search.
example: search for word DOG, and any profile containing the word dog in its displayed searchable fields gets displayed....why is it not that simple?
I cant see my users using any of these 3 options
they will either be disappointed at their search results or overwhelmed by options.
Users want QUICK and easy...not 20 million different things to drop down and select just to search for one profile.
Suggestions?
other components maybe.. I am willing to fork over the cash to buy any component for testing.
as a side note:
this com: CB core search
www.seedcoregroup.com/services/joomla-products/cb-core-search
I felt ripped off, I dont see any difference in what it does that the stock cb search doesnt already do.
made me feel as though they just took my money and provided me with a dummy component that just regurgitated the stock cb 1.2.2 search settings.
although it is a component its instruction just tell you to link a menu item to an existing CB list...
(I was doing this already and although you can link directly to their component and have a search page..its nothing more/less than the regular CB search page.
CB devs!!...I can email you my copy if you want to see this for yourself to determine anything further about its functionality...like I said , it feels like a dummy component to me...but what do I know.
Post edited by: jakobe75, at: 2010/04/16 20:04
Post edited by: jakobe75, at: 2010/04/21 22:48