Improve Search Results

[apexLisa]

Hello MadFriends –

I'm looking for suggestions to improve search results for Flare v3.1 WebHelp. Here's a summary of what I know so far….

How Results are Weighted

KB article for all outputs:
http://kb.madcapsoftware.com/default_csh.htm#OUTA1008F

Search looks to:

• Frequency first
• Topic titles second (Right-click topic > Properties > Topic Properties)
• The first <h#> tag when no title exists

Search results display:

• Topic title (if set) first
• TOC entry text when no title exists
• First <h#> when neither of the other are present

Users' capitalization of the search phrase makes a difference:

• One topic uses "Classroom" in the <h1> tag
• No titles are set, so after frequency, search looks to <h1>
• Search "classroom" = topic ranked 4th.
• Search "Classroom" = topic ranked 2nd
• With both the 1st result is the topic that contains the most instances of the word "classroom"

Narrow Search Results

Exclude topic from output using conditional tags
(Right-click topic > Properties > Conditional Text)
This is an absolute must-do for hiding draft content.

Note: If an included topic links to an excluded topic, the excluded topic will not appear in search results. Within the included topic, the excluded topic link is converted to text.

Exclude topics from the full-text search database
(Right-click topic > Properties > Topic Properties > Clear Searchable box)

Use search filter sets and concept keywords to create search filters, which help users narrow results.

Search and the TOC

Tagging the TOC entry is not the same as tagging the topic and will not hide a topic from search.

Removing a topic from the TOC(s) does not hide the topic from search.
Clicking the search result for a topic with no TOC entry opens the topic without breadcrumbs (if used)
In the TOC panel, the last viewed topic remains highlighted

Topics will be found by search when all of the following are true:

• Does or does not have a TOC entry and
• Is searchable and
• Has not been excluded from the build using tags

Synonyms to Educate Search

Synonyms will not work in output bearing MOTV
(requires manual update to Synonyms.xml)
http://kb.madcapsoftware.com/default_Le ... =OUTA1008F

Directional Synonyms:

• Relate one term to one term
• Are case sensitive unless the stem box is checked ("find me" will not "Find Me")
• Haven't tested if may contain spaces (e.g., classroom | class room, but based on what I see with grouping, probably not)

Groups Synonyms:

• Relate multiple terms to one another
• Are not case sensitive
• Are joined by the equals sign
• May not contain spaces (e.g., class=class room=section)
• May be stemmed

Example of Stem and Search Highlights:

A project uses the word classroom and never uses the word class.
The synonym Groups tab has this entry: class=classroom | stem

• User searches "class" and finds the topics about classrooms. The word "classroom" is not highlighted in the topic body.
• User searches "classroom" with the same results. The word "classroom" is highlighted in the topic body.

Questions: Search and Index

In the thread "Concept markers vs. Index markers", MarylynGK states that index markers are read by search.

Nothing in the KB or Help indicates that an index impacts search results (as synonyms do). Are search and index related? My guess is that MarylynGK is correct, but where does the index fit in – does search look to the index first?

How the heck to you delete an index entry?

Question: # of Search Results

Is there a way, perhaps in the MadCapSearch.js, to limit the number of search results to a set number – say the top 15?

[NorthEast]

Questions: Search and Index

In the thread "Concept markers vs. Index markers", MarylynGK states that index markers are read by search.

Nothing in the KB or Help indicates that an index impacts search results (as synonyms do). Are search and index related? My guess is that MarylynGK is correct, but where does the index fit in – does search look to the index first?

How the heck to you delete an index entry?

By default, the text in index markers is included in searches. To switch this off, open the target and move to the Performance tab, then tick Exclude Index Entries from Search. (Mind, I'm using v4.2, not entirely sure if this option was also in v3.1).

Search results display:

* Topic title (if set) first
* TOC entry text when no title exists
* First <h#> when neither of the other are present

I think the order is different to that.
The topic title displayed in the search results use the topic title tag set in the output file. If your topic doesn't have a topic title, Flare will generate one in the output file using:

1. Topic title tag (if set).
2. The first heading tag (h1-h6), if there's no title set.
3. TOC entry text, if there's no title or a heading.
4. The topic's file name (without .htm), if there's no title, heading or TOC entry.

Synonyms will not work in output bearing MOTV

I think that was an issue in v3.1, it is fixed now though in v4.x.

Also note that synonyms can also apply to index terms, as well as text in a topic.

If you display a topic that doesn't appear to contain the search text (i.e. nothing is highlighted), the topic probably contains the search text in the index marker, or has a synonym.

[sboyd]

Hello,

I'm going to jump in here because this is what I'm currently exploring:

1. If I have multiple targets and multiple synonym files, can I select which synonym files apply to which targets? I want to exlude a synonym file from a target.

2. Does anybody figured out a work-around to create synonym files with spaces? (For example, search=search refinements) I've tried all sorts of variations: search="search refinements", search=(search refinements), search=searchrefinements...

3. For the user's search results, is there a way to select which topics are displayed? For example, many users are searching for the term "edit seismic", and the search results include many topics (seismic is a very common term in my help file). Can I set up a way where if a user searches for "edit seismic", only 5 topics of my chosing appear in the search results? I suppose this relates to my second question.

I'd really appreciate some ideas.

Thanks so much

merci de me publier

[RSMetcalfe]

I can only offer a work around for your second problem.
Currently, Flare doesn't support synonyms with spaces. It's a pretty big limitation, but I've managed to get the results I need (so far) by giving careful thought to the terms I use.
For example, if you want to use the term search refinements in your synonym file, you will probably get the desired results using the term refinement.
Try it out, and see if it works for you. If not, maybe someone else can offer up a more elegant solution