Search functionality seems crippled. Can it be fixed?

[yvan]

Good afternoon. I'm trying to troubleshoot an issue with the search engine within oscommerce, and am stumped as to what might be going on. A full explanation of the issue can be found on the experts exchange website:

 

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Web_Develo...Q_23172114.html

 

Here, however, is a brief summary of the issue:

 

Take a look at this example product name:

 

HP26 51626A Remanufactured Black Cartridge - (HP 26)

 

Notice how it contains both "HP26" -- AND -- "HP 26" ? Why is the "HP 26" string that's within the parentheses being ignored? (when I do a search for "HP 26" -- this specific product is NOT returned as part of the search results)

 

I thought maybe the parentheses might be interfering, so I tried modifying the product name (I removed the parentheses) and then tried doing a search again, ... but the item still isn't being picked up, and isn't displayed in the search results.

 

I CAN, however, return this specific product when I do searches using the following:

 

"HP26"

"HP26 51626A"

"(HP 26)"

"HP26 51626A Remanufactured Black Cartridge - (HP 26)"

 

It's important that this item is returned in search results when people search for "HP 26" -- since often times folks aren't certain is the space is necessary or not, and will sometimes include it.

 

Please advise.

 

Thanks!

- Yvan

[star3am]

Hi Yvan, yea the default search didn't do what i wanted either,

 

In, catalog/advanced_search_result.php look for the following bit of code ..

 

  if (isset($search_keywords) && (sizeof($search_keywords) > 0)) {
$where_str .= " and (";
for ($i=0, $n=sizeof($search_keywords); $i<$n; $i++ ) {
  switch ($search_keywords[$i]) {
	case '(':
	case ')':
	case 'and':
	case 'or':
	  $where_str .= " " . $search_keywords[$i] . " ";
	  break;
	default:
	  $keyword = tep_db_prepare_input($search_keywords[$i]);

 

JUST BELOW, check that your code is similar to mine,

 

$where_str .= "(pd.products_description like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%' or pd.products_name like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%' or m.manufacturers_name like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%'";

 

that bit of code tells the shop to look through your products_description and products_name and manufacturers_name for anything like $keyword

 

:-" You can even add products_model

 

Good Luck :thumbsup:

Riaan

 

Good afternoon. I'm trying to troubleshoot an issue with the search engine within oscommerce, and am stumped as to what might be going on. A full explanation of the issue can be found on the experts exchange website:

 

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Web_Develo...Q_23172114.html

 

Here, however, is a brief summary of the issue:

 

Take a look at this example product name:

 

HP26 51626A Remanufactured Black Cartridge - (HP 26)

 

Notice how it contains both "HP26" -- AND -- "HP 26" ? Why is the "HP 26" string that's within the parentheses being ignored? (when I do a search for "HP 26" -- this specific product is NOT returned as part of the search results)

 

I thought maybe the parentheses might be interfering, so I tried modifying the product name (I removed the parentheses) and then tried doing a search again, ... but the item still isn't being picked up, and isn't displayed in the search results.

 

I CAN, however, return this specific product when I do searches using the following:

 

"HP26"

"HP26 51626A"

"(HP 26)"

"HP26 51626A Remanufactured Black Cartridge - (HP 26)"

 

It's important that this item is returned in search results when people search for "HP 26" -- since often times folks aren't certain is the space is necessary or not, and will sometimes include it.

 

Please advise.

 

Thanks!

- Yvan

[yvan]

Riaan -- I've tried as you've suggested, ... but I now get the following error message when I try to do searches:

 

1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax near 'pd.products_description like '%26%' or pd.products_name like '%26%' or m.manufac' at line 1

 

select count(distinct p.products_id) as total from products p left join manufacturers m using(manufacturers_id), products_description pd left join specials s on p.products_id = s.products_id, categories c, products_to_categories p2c where p.products_status = '1' and p.products_id = pd.products_id and pd.language_id = '1' and p.products_id = p2c.products_id and p2c.categories_id = c.categories_id and ((pd.products_name like '%hp%' or p.products_model like '%hp%' or m.manufacturers_name like '%hp%') and (pd.products_name like '%26%' or p.products_model like '%26%' or m.manufacturers_name like '%26%')pd.products_description like '%26%' or pd.products_name like '%26%' or m.manufacturers_name like '%26%'

 

[TEP STOP]

 

Here is the exact code that I have in place (thanks in advance) :

 

  if (isset($search_keywords) && (sizeof($search_keywords) > 0)) {
   $where_str .= " and (";
   for ($i=0, $n=sizeof($search_keywords); $i<$n; $i++ ) {
     switch ($search_keywords[$i]) {
       case '(':
       case ')':
       case 'and':
       case 'or':
         $where_str .= " " . $search_keywords[$i] . " ";
         break;
       default:
         $keyword = tep_db_prepare_input($search_keywords[$i]);
         $where_str .= "(pd.products_name like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%' or p.products_model like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%' or m.manufacturers_name like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%'";
         if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['search_in_description']) && ($HTTP_GET_VARS['search_in_description'] == '1')) $where_str .= " or pd.products_description like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%'";
         $where_str .= ')';
         break;
     }
   }

   //$where_str .= " )";

     $where_str .= "(pd.products_description like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%' or pd.products_name like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%' or m.manufacturers_name like '%" . tep_db_input($keyword) . "%'";
 }