# Search Function?



## DiamondB (Feb 2, 2005)

Is anyone else having trouble searching the forums?  Whenever I use it I'm just dumped to a white screen.


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## hong (Feb 2, 2005)

I just did a search for occurrences of the word "hong" in the last week, and got 38 hits. This tells me two things:

1) The search function is working fine, or at least it was a minute ago.

2) Not enough people are talking about me.

Everybody, please talk about me!


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## eabha (Feb 2, 2005)

You might want to take a look here for more on this problem.


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## Piratecat (Feb 2, 2005)

Basically, it seems like search works perfectly if you use it on one word, sporadically if you use it on two, and seldom if you try three or more. We haven't figured out how to fix that yet.


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## DethStryke (Feb 8, 2005)

So far, I have noticed that about 30% of the time the searches work. At this particular moment, neither an advanced or basic search works. I have tried one, two, & three word searches, with and without quotes, and with output for threads and titles only. These all have dumped me out into a white screen auto-generated by the PHP.

From what is happening, my first reaction is that there is probably a link to something in the search programming that no longer exists in the file/link hierarchy of the site. This is probably giving a null value and dumping a basic page out because it doesn't know what to do with the value given.

But that's a quick reply without looking at the code or having any kind of troubleshooting tools.  So I don't recommend taking it as absolute gospel.

I have done programming with a few scripting & full-blown programming languages (Basic, C#, javascript, PHP & CSS), so I'm not completely out of my league.


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## BSF (Feb 8, 2005)

I haven't been able to get any searches work today at all.  

I am sure it will get straightened out, but it is odd that I was able to search yesterday with partial success, but no success today.


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## BSF (Feb 8, 2005)

Looking at it a bit more and I think that perhaps certain words are problematic.  As an example, no matter how I search for Alsih2o's History threads, if I include the word "history" in the search parameters, I end up with a blank page.  If I don't, then I can find plenty of posts.  

Any chance there is a problem with an index that needs to be rebuilt?


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## Michael Morris (Feb 8, 2005)

Possibly, but rebuilding the index would take the old server upwards of 12 hours. I'd expect to see at least 4 hours downtime here.


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## andargor (Feb 16, 2005)

Hi,

Any progress on fixing the search function? I'm kinda getting tired of seeing blank white pages, even with short words like "epic"...

Andargor


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## andargor (Feb 16, 2005)

hong said:
			
		

> I just did a search for occurrences of the word "hong" in the last week, and got 38 hits. This tells me two things:
> 
> 1) The search function is working fine, or at least it was a minute ago.
> 
> ...




I forgot... Hong "why aren't people talking about me" Ooi.



Andargor


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## Piratecat (Feb 17, 2005)

So, it's looking like it isn't an index problem. Because we get the same white screen on threads with too much text (Sepulchrave's compiled, for instance), Michael thinks that there may be a server-side limit of 100k that we;re exceeding. I believe he's hunting for it.


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## Piratecat (Feb 17, 2005)

I've changed results per page from 25 to 20, and max responses from 500 to 200. Let's see if that helps any.


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## andargor (Feb 17, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I've changed results per page from 25 to 20, and max responses from 500 to 200. Let's see if that helps any.




Same thing. I tried 5 times to see if it was intermittent, got a blank white page 5 times.

Are you getting a blank page with "epic" as well?

Andargor


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## andargor (Feb 17, 2005)

A hint, perhaps, I went into advanced search and tried different things. One thing worked with "epic": changing "Search Entire Posts" to "Search Titles Only". That worked.

No other settings changed anything. Blank page whenever I had "Search Entire Posts" set.

Also, no "Wait 30 seconds before another post" warning when I get a blank page. So it seems it dies quickly.

Andargor


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## andargor (Feb 22, 2005)

I hate to bring this up again, but has anyone been able to confirm the above?

Sorry for being annoying, but I am myself a little annoyed at not being able to do searches properly...

Andargor


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## Darkness (Feb 22, 2005)

andargor said:
			
		

> A hint, perhaps, I went into advanced search and tried different things. One thing worked with "epic": changing "Search Entire Posts" to "Search Titles Only". That worked.



 It's a further indication that what Michael thinks is likely true: 







			
				Piratecat said:
			
		

> Because we get the same white screen on threads with too much text (Sepulchrave's compiled, for instance), Michael thinks that there may be a server-side limit of 100k that we;re exceeding. I believe he's hunting for it.



 ...


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## DethStryke (Feb 22, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> So, it's looking like it isn't an index problem. Because we get the same white screen on threads with too much text (Sepulchrave's compiled, for instance), Michael thinks that there may be a server-side limit of 100k that we;re exceeding. I believe he's hunting for it.




I would think the limit is closer to the 1,000K mark, actually. Sepulchrave's compiled gave me a fit and I had to change my replies per post to no more than 25 to see his first page. That page was just under 900k after it spit it out. Of course some of that is auto-generated PHP, but the pure text is the bulk.

I have gotten by with a few tips:
-Search titles only when possible
-Show results as threads
-Try to limit your search to just the forum area that it would most likely be in anyway. The admins are super here, so it's very uncommon to have relevant information in random sections.
-Use one word if at all possible
-Do not use common words if at all possible. Searching for the word Fighter will white screen you, for example.


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## Michael Morris (Feb 22, 2005)

Deathe is looking into the possible problem areas.

Got a question though - Are the white screens consistent, or do they only show up in busy periods or don't show up in slow periods.  I ask because PHP on the server currently has an 8MB limit for all processes (the default).  Maybe we need to up that.


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## andargor (Feb 22, 2005)

Michael Morris said:
			
		

> Deathe is looking into the possible problem areas.
> 
> Got a question though - Are the white screens consistent, or do they only show up in busy periods or don't show up in slow periods.  I ask because PHP on the server currently has an 8MB limit for all processes (the default).  Maybe we need to up that.




The problem words are consistently returning white screens for me. I haven't had one occurence of "epic" return results (with Search Entire Posts), whether at 1 PM or 4 AM.

Andargor


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## DethStryke (Feb 22, 2005)

Unless I do not follow my home-made guidelines above, it does it any time of the day (having insomnia lately has allowed me to actually try that).

For example:
Searching for "Fighters" in Search Entire Posts has always gotten me a white screen.

Searching for "Fighters" in Search Titles Only has always come up.


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## Steve Jung (Feb 23, 2005)

Hmm. I just did a search for "fighters" in "Search entire post" and "Search titles." Both worked.


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## DethStryke (Feb 23, 2005)

Steve Jung said:
			
		

> Hmm. I just did a search for "fighters" in "Search entire post" and "Search titles." Both worked.




Then I can only conclude that your browser is magical. :/

I tested it again before I posted that, and I got the same results. However, I am using Firefox, which shouldn't matter but may in the end.

Edit: Did you have it also set to any date, all sections of the site, any size, in child forums and at least 0 replies? I had those basic modifiers, but you can save different "defults" for your search which may have been different.


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## andargor (Feb 23, 2005)

Steve Jung said:
			
		

> Hmm. I just did a search for "fighters" in "Search entire post" and "Search titles." Both worked.




What browser are you using? I just tried with both Mozilla and IE (Windows), and got a blank page with "epic".



			
				DethStryke said:
			
		

> Then I can only conclude that your browser is magical. :/




Hmmm. I get results for "fighters" on both IE and Mozilla, but a blank page for "fighter"...

Epic Weirdness.

Andargor


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## Red Spire Press (Feb 28, 2005)

I hate to be a pest, but has there been any progress on this yet? The only reason I have purchased a community supporter account is for the search functionality, therefore I'm a month in the hole (I also donated to ENWorld through normal non-CS channels). Has there been any thought toward distributing a credit when the search is fixed? Essentially, extend the length of CS subscriptions by however long search has been down, which is running on a month now...


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## Gez (Feb 28, 2005)

hong said:
			
		

> I just did a search for occurrences of the word "hong" in the last week, and got 38 hits. This tells me two things:
> 
> 1) The search function is working fine, or at least it was a minute ago.
> 
> ...




See, people, when Hong starts acting like this, it means that it's Hong-beating time.  To do a proper Hong-beating, you need a quality Hong Beating Stick, also called a Hongbo by the true masters of the art. The stick must be painful yet supple enough to avoid broking itself on Hong's thick skull. Err, I mean, to avoid any lasting trauma that could diminish Hong's cerebral capacities. Then it's all in the move -- too fast and you strain yourself, not fast enough and Hong isn't staggered and manage to escape. A Hongbo with a proper reach is useful at getting AoO on Hong when that happens, though. I advise getting at least a two-meter Hongbo. That's how you can keep on beating Hong with a stick even when he's trying to crawl to safety.

Beat Hong with a stick. If you don't know why he deserves that, rest assured that _he_ knows why. Plus, Hong craves the attention! 

Are there enough occurences of the word "Hong" in this post for your taste, Hong? Or do you want sticks with that?


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## hong (Mar 1, 2005)

Gez said:
			
		

> See, people, when Hong starts acting like this, it means that it's Hong-beating time.  To do a proper Hong-beating, you need a quality Hong Beating Stick, also called a Hongbo by the true masters of the art.




ITYM "Hongdo", trans. "way of the Hong", cf. judo, kyudo, kendo, dildo, et al. HTH HAND!


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## Michael Morris (Mar 1, 2005)

Over the weekend Deathe and I are going to rebuild the search index, see if that helps.


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## diaglo (Mar 1, 2005)

hong said:
			
		

> I just did a search for occurrences of the word "hong" in the last week, and got 38 hits. This tells me two things:
> 
> 1) The search function is working fine, or at least it was a minute ago.
> 
> ...




i tried. i think you better look again.

i'm pretty sure i said your name in vain at least two score times.


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