Why Is My Search Not Working?!

[alexmaccers]

http://www.redgraperecords.co.uk/store/

 

Try searching, oh, lets say "Hafdis". There are 3 products for her. Why then, can it not find anything?

 

Alex

[germ]

I'm having the same problem with the site I've been working on for a co-worker:

 

Bob's Coins and Paper Currency

 

I made a post about it over a month ago, and got no "bites".

 

I've searched this forum high and low, tried a few things I found.

 

But alas, no success.

:(

 

So if you ever get this working, I'd appreciate finding out what you did to fix it.

 

Likewise, if I find a solution, I'll be sure to let you know what I did.

 

Maybe between the two of us we can get this figured out.

:thumbsup:

[izack1981]

yeah.. i got that problem too.. please anyone? help us :) :rolleyes:

[PD_Steve]

The osCommerce code that I use I have installed the updated version of the search function. The contribution is http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contri...l/search,search

 

You can test it out on a site that I am just finalising for a client here http://www.sportingdvds.com

 

I did make a minor modification to the code just to make sure that it always searches in product descriptions (even from the search box on the front page). Apart from that, its just that contribution.

 

Maybe that would offer a solution.

[Guest]

Try searching, oh, lets say "Hafdis". There are 3 products for her. Why then, can it not find anything?

 

Alex

that's because your categories are messed up. If you want to have products only, you need to do quite few mods on the catalog end.

[in2fun]

Maybe the categories are messed up, but most likely, the products are not in categories. It looks like all products must be in some category rather that the the top lovel (no category).

[rrrhythm]

it always seemed to me that the best way to proceed would be to make sure your site was well indexed in google, then insert a search bar that automatically searched your site via google.

 

 

there is an example of this in action at the W3 site: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/default.asp

check out their "Site Search" box at the top, enter anything into it, and it gives you a google result list. i've been planning on inserting something similar on my own site. maybe there is already a contrib for that.

 

my thinking is that any search function on/by osC will be primitive when compared to google. why re-invent the wheel?

 

key to the success of this approach, of course, is making sure your site is well indexed by google.

 

rj

[usernamenone]

My guess is you have products in your catalog but you have not put those products in a catagorie and that is why they are not searchable............

 

This is from your documentation.pdf page 11.

 

Categories/Products

Categories/Products

Clicking on the "new category" button in the center section will make a new folder.

Clicking on the "new product" button will make a new product.

When you are making a new product you have the ability to:

show the product in or out of stock

set the date the product will be availabe which corresponds with the "Products Expected"

module

set the product's manufacturer

set the product's name and description

set the product's quantity in stock (this corresponds with the "Configuration" "Stock"

section, product's model number

upload the products's image

set a product's url if you need to link out to another site

set the product's price

set the tax class which is used to charge tax on each product (this class must be setup first

in the tax section)

set products weight which, if you are using "weight" for your shipping schedule, each

product will need to have a weight listed

Top

After you have made a new folder or product it will show up on this main screen which is

called **"Top"** which is the name in the drop-down box at the upper right. This dropdown

box will eventually list all the folders and products in your store.

Move a Category Folder

To move a category folder, click to highlight that folder and choose the **"move"**

button on the right. You can move folders to other folders or to the **"Top"** directory.

Page 19 of 114

Copyright © 2005 osCommerce. All rights reserved.

http://www.oscommerce.com

Move a New Product

To move a new product, click to highlight the product you want to move and click the

**"move"** button on the right. When you click the **"move"** button you will see this

message:

"Move (name of product) to:".

Choose a place to move it and click the **"move"** button.

Copy a New Product

To copy a new product, click to highlight the product you want to copy and click the

**"copy to"** button on the right. When you click the **"copy to"** button you will see

this message:

Copy Method:

-Link product

-Duplicate product

Choose "Link product" if you just want to link it and "Duplicate product" if you want to

add another product.

[Guest]

Maybe the categories are messed up, but most likely, the products are not in categories. It looks like all products must be in some category rather that the the top lovel (no category).

yea that's what I said.

 

it always seemed to me that the best way to proceed would be to make sure your site was well indexed in google, then insert a search bar that automatically searched your site via google.

 

my thinking is that any search function on/by osC will be primitive when compared to google. why re-invent the wheel?

Come again? You think is a good marketing idea to advertise others with your store's space (like dedicating your search to a search engine?) especially when they don't pay?

 

And the search approach you're suggesting is primitive, because the osCommerce search can be grouped by categoriies, manufactires, price ranges, articles etc. Plus you can use it for other purposes like to associate similar products.

 

It's a bad thing to integrate a seach engine's facility with your store.

[rrrhythm]

yea that's what I said.

Come again? You think is a good marketing idea to advertise others with your store's space (like dedicating your search to a search engine?) especially when they don't pay?

 

And the search approach you're suggesting is primitive, because the osCommerce search can be grouped by categoriies, manufactires, price ranges, articles etc. Plus you can use it for other purposes like to associate similar products.

 

It's a bad thing to integrate a seach engine's facility with your store.

 

 

this is a very a fair point that enigma has. using google will output a google results page that also has sponsored links in the same category, so as he points out, you'll be advertising your competitors.

 

on the other hand, if you have a better product at a better price than the competition, it will make you look good. and i assume my web customers are already savvy enough to be comparing via google anyways.

 

a good point to consider, though.

 

rj