forum search

[myarmar]

Something is not right with site search engine. For example, I tried to search for transmission tunnel insulation, entered A1246823801 and got no results. Google search found this:
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/sho...arts-com-pricing&p=37541&viewfull=1#post37541

 

[gerryvz]

Hello Myanmar,

Indeed, the "standard" vBulletin search functionality is limited and basic at best, but it normally works OK. Particularly if you know how to best use it. In addition, this site is constantly spidered by Google search-bots, so that it is normally well-indexed and things are searchable using Google.

I have been considering a monetary investment to make this site/forum even more friendly and searchable by search engines, which will improve our Google rankings above the fairly high level to which they have already risen over the past five-plus years. Stay tuned as that is likely going to be one of the next "major" site enhancements that I announce.

Now ... to get to solving your problem......

Searching for "transmission tunnel insulation" (without the quotes) comes up with six search hits, including this thread. This tells me that the site is indexing correctly and is allowing searches.

Searching for long numeric strings does not work by itself. If you want to effectively search numbers, you must put quotes around them...such as "A1246823801" I would also NOT recommend putting the "A" in front of the MB part numbers, because many of our members (myself included) typically don't use the prefix letters in front of the 10-digit MB part numbers.

Using quotes around a term in the search function tells the search engine to literally search for that string. Also please note that all search requests must be at least three and preferably more characters in length.

As a last resort, you can instruct Google to search this site for your parameters using the following syntax: A1246823801 site:500Eboard.com

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Myanmar's post struck a chord in me, and got me thinking about a mod that I often see on other vBulletin forums ... that of a Google Custom Search box that REPLACES or AUGMENTS the existing vBulletin search box.

A Google Custom Search box allows you to type in anything (even something like two or three characters) and would do a specific search of this site, rather than of the whole internet. Since this site is well-indexed by Google bots/spiders, and I've made very SEO-friendly to encourage this site's information be found via Google, this could be a very powerful way to search the site that I think (based on my experiences on other forums) could be a great addition.

What do people think? Does it make sense to you to provide a site-specific search capability that utilizes the Google engine, which is more powerful than the standard vBulletin site search engine? It would be a VERY easy modification to make.

Thoughts?!?

 

[szvook]

Can we get a word-wheel search built in as well? Or is vBulletin limited?

 

[gerryvz]

What's a word-wheel search?

 

[myarmar]

Gerry I did not want my post to sound as a complain, just observation.

 

[szvook]

What's a word-wheel search?

It's a search as you type feature. It displays a drop-down list below the search box that shows the most relevant queries related to the one the user enters, so as a partial query is being typed, matching results are being returned. It can be deployed via Google Search Appliance.

 

[KarlC]

Myanmar's post struck a chord in me, and got me thinking about a mod that I often see on other vBulletin forums ... that of a Google Custom Search box that REPLACES or AUGMENTS the existing vBulletin search box.

A Google Custom Search box allows you to type in anything (even something like two or three characters) and would do a specific search of this site, rather than of the whole internet. Since this site is well-indexed by Google bots/spiders, and I've made very SEO-friendly to encourage this site's information be found via Google, this could be a very powerful way to search the site that I think (based on my experiences on other forums) could be a great addition.

What do people think? Does it make sense to you to provide a site-specific search capability that utilizes the Google engine, which is more powerful than the standard vBulletin site search engine? It would be a VERY easy modification to make.

Thoughts?!?

I've always thought the search function on here could be much better, but its not a must.

This site rocks as it is already.

 

[gsxr]

vBulletin search sucks. My primary gripe is that it will not search on strings less than 4 characters long. This means you cannot search for EZL, ETA, MAF, air (pump), red (color), SLS, etc, etc. Gotta do a Google search for that.

Just recently, I found an example where the vBulletin search just plain failed. Search for "lollypop" and you get zero results. However, if you do a Google search (click here), you get the thread which contains this term.

 

[gerryvz]

Gerry I did not want my post to sound as a complain, just observation.

It was not taken as a complaint! I think it's a common problem that others (including myself) have experienced, and you raised it in the appropriate manner and forum. So we're going to do something about it.

I'll unveil the solution very soon ... stay tuned folks.

 

[gsxr]

Just to clarify, my gripe is not with Gerryboard Forum, it's with the vBulletin software search engine.

 

[szvook]

Just to clarify, my gripe is not with Gerryboard Forum, it's with the vBulletin software search engine.

Nope, sorry, but no backpedaling allowed...you dug your hole, now deal with it.

 

[gsxr]

Nope, sorry, but no backpedaling allowed...you dug your hole, now deal with it.

 

[szvook]

 

[gerryvz]

 

[gerryvz]

Hello Myanmar and fellow 500E Runners:

I have implemented the Google Custom Search capability into the site, after some considerable php programming and tweaking tonight (about 3 hours worth of tweaking and testing).

You can now see the Google search box at the upper right of the screen:


You can still used the "Advanced Search" link below it to search using the traditional vBulletin search capability.

This Google Custom Search will be 500Eboard.com site-specific, and will allow you to search on strings of two letters or numbers.

Please do let me know if you have any issues or find any problems with it. I did my best to test things out, so hopefully it is working appropriately.

Thank you for your patience in allowing me to take my time to get this set up and integrated onto the site.



Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Maui]

As usual top notch. Your efforts are much appreciated.

 

[szvook]

Hello Myanmar and fellow 500E Runners:

I have implemented the Google Custom Search capability into the site, after some considerable php programming and tweaking tonight (about 3 hours worth of tweaking and testing).

You can now see the Google search box at the upper right of the screen:
View attachment 27446

You can still used the "Advanced Search" link below it to search using the traditional vBulletin search capability.

This Google Custom Search will be 500Eboard.com site-specific, and will allow you to search on strings of two letters or numbers.

Please do let me know if you have any issues or find any problems with it. I did my best to test things out, so hopefully it is working appropriately.

Thank you for your patience in allowing me to take my time to get this set up and integrated onto the site.



Cheers,
Gerry

Found a bug - once a link is followed from the search results, selecting to navigate back to the search results via back button disables the pagination. This is with using an iPad, have not checked the browser on my PC.

 

[emerydc8]

Thank you for your patience in allowing me to take my time

Gerry,

Thank you for doing this for us. There have been a number of occasions where I wasn't sure which category an item would be found. This should help.

 

[gerryvz]

Found a bug - once a link is followed from the search results, selecting to navigate back to the search results via back button disables the pagination. This is with using an iPad, have not checked the browser on my PC.

I will check this out and see what I can do. I may need to have you describe the problem more completely.

Frankly after struggling with configuration last night, and up to my elbows in customizing php code and integrating it with the existing vBulletin forum code so as not to break anything, I was just glad to get it working last night My brain was tired so I had to go to bed....

 

[gerryvz]

OK, an update on this...not seeing the bug you are mentioning, Vookster. I type in a search term ("chicks dig") and up pops five pages worth of search result links from the site (man, that's a lot of banter about the ladies, eh?).

So I click on a random link that pops up on the search results page, and it takes me to a forum thread.

Then I hit the "back" button on my browser, and it takes me back to the same results page. All five results pages are still there and intact.

So...I must not be understanding what the bug you found is. Can you be more explicit as to what you are doing and the results/problem?

Thanks !

 

[szvook]

Then I hit the "back" button on my browser, and it takes me back to the same results page. All five results pages are still there and intact.

So once you are back in the search results, select any page number displayed - the page number links are inactive (they are displayed) but when I click on any page number link, the page does not load.

 

[Maui]

Works fine on my MacBook Pro.

 

[szvook]

Maui, thanks for the test.

Gerry, this might be a mobile bug - I see the same issue on my phone.

 

[gerryvz]

So once you are back in the search results, select any page number displayed - the page number links are inactive (they are displayed) but when I click on any page number link, the page does not load.

OK I did this and had no problems...hit the back button and went to another page of results...clicked on individual links and went right to the correct link, backed up to the previous page, selected another page of results links...clicked on random link results, no problems.

Sounds like a browser/computer issue on your end .... ?

 

[szvook]

OK I did this and had no problems...hit the back button and went to another page of results...clicked on individual links and went right to the correct link, backed up to the previous page, selected another page of results links...clicked on random link results, no problems.

Sounds like a browser/computer issue on your end .... ?

Are you on a mobile device, when testing this? On my iPad and iPhone, the issue is currently present. The only workaround I see, if the page results are refreshed the pagination becomes active.

It's not that the search results links are inactive, it's the numeric page results bellow.

 

[gerryvz]

Are you on a mobile device, when testing this? On my iPad and iPhone, the issue is currently present...

No, I'm on a Windows PC, using Firefox, Internet Exploiter and Chrome. Works just fine.

Also just tested with Apple's Safari browser on Windows. Also works just fine.

Do you have fat fingers or something?

 

[szvook]

Like I said, this might be a mobile bug. My fingers are just fine.

 

[KarlC]

Found a bug - once a link is followed from the search results, selecting to navigate back to the search results via back button disables the pagination. This is with using an iPad, have not checked the browser on my PC.

Like I said, this might be a mobile bug. My fingers are just fine.

I just tried it several times from my Android based Cell phone, it all works great with no issues.

Thx Gerry !!!

 

[szvook]

Ok, then this might be an iOS issue - anyone on an iPad or iPhone seeing this?

 

[gerryvz]

I just tried it several times from my Android based Cell phone, it all works great with no issues.

Could also be that vookster's drank too much Red Bull already this morning....

 

[gsxr]

Just Say No to using forums from teeny tiny screens...

 

[Glen]

Just Say No to using forums from teeny tiny screens...

LOL. Gerry, it works fine for me on an Android 7" tablet with 4.4.2 Kitkat (Chrome and Firefox) and iPhone with iOS 7.1 (Chrome and Safari). I can test with an iPad tonight...

 

[szvook]

Ok, root cause found - it's iOS 6 issue and before I get any lip back, I have to use a few devices for work with iOS 6.

 

[bing]

Do'h !! I know nothing about software and all this computer malarkey talk, but I was about to suggest an update on your devices, szvook..lol

Even I knew we're on IOS7.1 now .

Well everything works for me in both Tapatalk app and URL with iPhone and iPad . Think it's coz mine are updated

Sorry, but like you said, you have to stick to IOS6 for work though

 

[gerryvz]

Ok, root cause found - it's iOS 6 issue and before I get any lip back, I have to use a few devices for work with iOS 6.

 

[szvook]

Yeah, well, on a mobile platform one version back means you are shite out of luck, cause hardly anybody supports two iOS versions - but we, here at RB need to support two iOS versions for international legacy users. On the web and with IE (Internet Explorer) most companies need to maintain at least two versions of the browser, which means at least two OS versions as well.

Chalk this up to a forced upgrade to fix the bug.

 

[gerryvz]

I was starting to have visions of spending three more hours late tonight in front of my monitor trying to fix this issue to the satisfaction of the Vook household .... thankfully I'll be able to spend some quality time out in the shop now

 

[szvook]

Pffft...I'll find something else to dissatisfy my needs. Btw, the new search is a nice touch.

 

[KarlC]

I was starting to have visions of spending three more hours late tonight in front of my monitor trying to fix this issue to the satisfaction of the Vook household .... thankfully I'll be able to spend some quality time out in the shop now

Dont jump to fast Gerry, remember those Vook folk seem to have many issues with mobile devices just check some of their post with photos.

 

[gerryvz]

Dont jump to fast Gerry, remember those Vook folk seem to have many issues with mobile devices just check some of their post with photos.

Maybe Ms. Vook[ova] needs to school him in how to use/upgrade/post with mobile devices.

 

[myarmar]

Gerry, thank you. Works perfect!
Mike

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Been getting frequent messages during the search on the forum:

"Oops! We ran into some problems.​

A server error occurred. Please try again later."

Regards,
D