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[new plugin] Search Spell

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[new plugin] Search Spell
Search Spell
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What is it?

Search Spell is a search query suggester. Search Spell is NOT a spell checker or corrector.

How it works:

When a user enters a search query and no results are returned, the user is normally presented your advanced search template (search.html). This is often unnecessary for commonly searched terms, which SHOULD have results. What Search Spell shows the user is a suggestion based on the search query which produced no search results.

For example. Lets say you run a site which lists links to car related sites. If you find that users often search for "model t" and get no results, but "model-t" does, you should enter these two words into Search Spell's dictionary. The next time a user searches for "model t" they will be shown a hyper-linked suggestion for "model-t". All the user has to do is click on the suggested word, and up comes results!

Installation is easy. There is one tag which must be placed into your search.html template (see about in the plug-in menu).

NEW: You can now import dictionaries from a standard comma seperated text file. This allows you to keep a master dictionary for easier sharing and backup purposes.

This version: IMPORTANT

While we did not intend release of this product (we use it exclusively on our own websites), we have decided to sell it "as is". This means no support. You are welcome to discuss the script on our forum.

Last edited by:

Ian: Jan 4, 2003, 1:15 PM
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Re: [Ian] [new plugin] Search Spell In reply to
Great idea! I wonder how difficult it would be to check the words against an existing word list and determine a similar word or words. I have a dictionary word list in MS Access that could be converted over.

Sean
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Re: [SeanP] [new plugin] Search Spell In reply to
Thanks! Yes, if you could get the words into the csv format it would import just fine. In a future version I think a better engine to check on words (maybe with soundex).
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Re: [Ian] [new plugin] Search Spell In reply to
hi,

I've another suggestion for the plugin. What about additional (optional) and automatically import the search terms of Alex's Search-Logger Plugin into the query-catalogue where results are greater or equal to 1?

So the user's can take profit of the searches of others.

Regards,
Manu

Shopping Portal Shop-Netz.de® | Partnerprogramme | Flugreisen & Billigflüge | KESTERMEDIA e.K. | European Affiliate Marketing Forum.
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Re: [ManuGermany] [new plugin] Search Spell In reply to
Hi Manu,

This is a great idea! I'll see what I can do.
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Re: [Ian] [new plugin] Search Spell In reply to
One more suggestion (I haven't read any more about the plugin accept for what's here) - if no results were found it might be good if the script "automatically" did a new search using the similar terms/words - therefore missing out returned hyperlink. You could just make this an on-off option or something.

Sounds like a good plugin though! Good on ya! Smile

Regan.