SQL Server 2005 Full

1. SQL Server 2005 Full-Text Search Indexing
Microsoft SQL Server with support of T-SQL can search for
matches of a value in the given data. For example, if in a
database table with a column named Notes you can search
records which contain the expression "Full-Text Search" or
the Notes field is equal to "SQL Server 2005" using similar sql
queries shown below:
SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes Like '%Full-Text
Search%'
SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes = 'SQL Server
2005'
T-SQL is very helpful if you exactly know what you are
looking for. As an example, if you are seaching for a product
in products table, you can use the ProductCode field in your
sql search command with an exact match:
SELECT * FROM Products WHERE ProductCode = 'SQL2005EE'
But t-sql does not give desired results every time.
SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes Like '%Full-Text
Search%'
The above query will not list the "Full-Text Index Search"
since it has the Index in it. Or even if you have double space
character with in your database column, it will not be listed
either.
You may implement your search query altering the original
one like :
SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes Like '%Full%Text
%Search%'
But one more critical point for T-SQL search queries is the
exact order of your expression is also sought with in the
searched fields. If your table has a record "Searches using
Full-Text Indexing", you must now use a sql query like below
which is I believe will not be implemented in real life.
SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes Like '%Full%Text
%Search%' OR Notes Like '%Search%Full%Text%' OR ...
Ok, it is not an advanced query or well structured, but is it
fast enough to keep up with impatient users? This is an
indexing problem. Classic indexing methods used on sql
server databases will use indexes if you have a search like

2. SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes Like 'Full Text
Search%'
This means get records whose column Notes begins with the
expression 'Full Text Search' and goes on.
But indexes on the Notes field will not be helpful if you search
records that contains the 'Full Text Search' in Notes field.
SELECT * FROM NotesTable WHERE Notes Like '%Full Text
Search%'
As a result a search like above will result with a full table
scan. I'm sure you will not want this on a table whose size is
a few gigabytes.
Actually, in real world applications, things are not clear. For a
live example, perhaps you have made a search on Full-Text
Search in a search engine. For every expression you have
written in the search box field, you get different sets of
results. But which worlds helped you to find the best results
you were looking for?
This sample case can be applied in SQL Server databases too.
You may want to search for a set of expressions in your
database fields. But you also want your search wise and also
the search should be completed as quick as possible.
In short, t-sql does not really supply developers strong and
efficient tools for searching.
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 has also full-text search
capabilities. SQL Server 2005 (aka Yukon) has some
improved features and some new features when compared
with SQL Server 2000.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 now has the side-by-side
installation of the full-text engine. For each instance of
Microsoft SQL Server 2005, one instance of Microsoft Full-
Text Engine for SQL Server (MSFTESQL) service based on the
Microsoft Search (MSSearch) service is installed. This new
installation method enables the SQL Server 2005 keep the
MSSearch service only for its use and do not share MSSearch
Service with other server products that use the MSSearch
service.
If you open the Windows Task Manager you can notice that
there is a running msftesql.exe service and mssearch.exe
service.

3. The msftesql.exe can be controlled from Services
Management Console. You can see the SQL Server FullText
Search service installed for the SQL Server 2005 named
instance YUKON.
The description of the service in the service properties box is
as "Quickly creates full-text indexes on content and properties
of structured and semi-structured data to allow fast linguistic
searches on this data."
Also the path of the executable application with required
parameters for the service is given as:
"C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL
ServerMSSQL.2MSSQLBinnmsftesql.exe" -s:MSSQL.2
-f:YUKON
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms142490.aspx
In order to get benefits of Full-Text Search, first we must
create a full-text catalog in order to store full-text indexes.
And then create full-text indexes with in this catalog on target
MS SQL Server 2005 instance.
Open the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and
connect to the SQL Server 2005 database instance you want
to setup the fulltext catalog.
Run the below CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG sql command on
the query editor screen.

4. CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG KodyazFTCatalog
If the Full-Text search is not enabled for the database, you
will get the following error message:
Msg 7616, Level 16, State 100, Line 1
Full-Text Search is not enabled for the current database. Use
sp_fulltext_database to enable full-text search for the
database. The functionality to disable and enable full-text
search for a database is deprecated. Please change your
application.
In order to see whether Full-Text search is enabled or not,
you can open the database properties screen for the target
SQL Server 2005 database, then select the Files page. You
will see the "Use full-text indexing" checkbox for enabling or
disabling the full-text search on this database.

5. If the full-text search is enabled for the database, the below
command will result notifying the message "Command(s)
completed successfully."
CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG KodyazFTCatalog
With a successfull complete of the CREATE FULLTEXT
CATALOG command a folder named same as new catalog
name is created on default folder C:Program FilesMicrosoft
SQL ServerMSSQL.2MSSQLFTData to store catalog and
index data.

6. If you wonder the CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG syntax and
additional parameters you can read the SQL Server 2005
Books Online (BOL) topic at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/ms189520.aspx
CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG catalog_name
[ON FILEGROUP filegroup ]
[IN PATH 'rootpath']
[WITH <catalog_option>]
[AS DEFAULT]
[AUTHORIZATION owner_name ]
<catalog_option>::=
ACCENT_SENSITIVITY = {ON|OFF}
You can also enable or disable Full-Text indexing on a
database by using system stored procedures commands.
exec sp_fulltext_database 'enable'
exec sp_fulltext_database 'disable'
The procedure sp_fulltext_database takes the parameter
@action with valid values 'enable' and 'disable' on the current
database.
If you wonder the details for procedure sp_fulltext_database
simply run "sp_helptext sp_fulltext_database" to see the sql
codes for the procedure.
After we have enabled the full-text indexing and created our
first fulltext catalog, you can view the newly created objects
using the Object Explorer window of the Microsoft SQL Server
Management Studio. Drill down the database tracking the
path Storage > Full Text Catalogs. You can see that the new
catalog we have just created is listed under the Full Text
Catalogs.

7. We can also use the SQL Server Management Studio in order
to create and configure our Full-Text Catalogs. On the context
menu of the Full Text Catalogs, there is the New Full-Text
Catalog... command.
This option displays the New Full-Text Catalog dialog screen
shown as below. From this screen we can set the catalog
name as well as the catalog location and other configuration
options.

8. If you open the context menu on the full text catalog, you will
see a list of commands and the Properties option

9. If you open the properties screen for an existing Full Text
catalog, if you get the following error message, check that the
full-text indexing property is set to diabled by fault. Or there
may not be a defined population schedule for the full-text
catalog.
Property PopulationStatus is not available for FullTextCatalog
'[WorksFTCatalog]'. This property may not exist for this
object, or may not be retrievable due to insufficient access
rights. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)
After creating a Full-Text catalog, now we are ready to create
full-text indexes. Before creating a full-text index on a table
we should be sure that there is a unique, single column, non
nullable index on the related table. This index will be used to
map the results to the records of the table.
By running the below sql command CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX
we can create our first fulltext index.
CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX ON Complaints
(
ComplaintDetails
)
KEY INDEX PK_Complaints ON SampleFTCatalog
WITH CHANGE_TRACKING AUTO

10. You see that giving the table name and the column for
indexing with the table index and the full text catalog name is
enough to create the full-text index.
For a full list of options on CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX
command check the BOL topic at
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187317.aspx
CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX ON table_name
[(column_name [TYPE COLUMN type_column_name]
[LANGUAGE language_term] [,...n])]
KEY INDEX index_name
[ON fulltext_catalog_name]
[WITH
{CHANGE_TRACKING {MANUAL | AUTO | OFF [, NO
POPULATION]}}
]
If you wonder what is the indexing status of the full-text
catalog, you can run the below query using
FULLTEXTCATALOGPROPERTY
SELECT FULLTEXTCATALOGPROPERTY('SampleFTCatalog',
'Populatestatus')
If the return value is 0 then this means indexing is not
running and the population status is idle. But a return value
of 1 for FULLTEXTCATALOGPROPERTY means indexing process
is currently running on the full-text catalog and the
population status is "populating catalog".
You see in the below screenshot, a list of tables on the right
that are assigned to the full-text catalog WorksFTCatalog. For
the selected table unique index and available columns for full-
text index and selected columns are listed.

11. Running Full-Text Search Queries
For samples on full-text search, I created a table named
Documents.
CREATE TABLE Documents(
[DocumentId] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
[Title] [nvarchar](1000) NOT NULL,
[Text] [nvarchar](max) NULL,
[FullText] [ntext] NULL,
CONSTRAINT PK_Documents PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED
(

12. [DocumentId] ASC
)
)
Then I created the full-text catalog named WorksFTCatalog
CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG WorksFTCatalog
I enabled the fulltext indexing by running the
sp_fulltext_database
exec sp_fulltext_database 'enable'
Then I created the full-text index on table Documents
CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX ON Documents
(
Title,
[Text],
[FullText]
)
KEY INDEX PK_Documents ON WorksFTCatalog
WITH CHANGE_TRACKING AUTO
Creating the fulltext index will return a warning message:
Warning: Table or indexed view 'Documents' has full-text
indexed columns that are of type image, text, or ntext. Full-
text change tracking cannot track WRITETEXT or
UPDATETEXT operations performed on these columns.
After the population status is set to idle after the indexing has
finished by running the below FULLTEXTCATALOGPROPERTY
select query,
SELECT FULLTEXTCATALOGPROPERTY('WorksFTCatalog',
'Populatestatus')
We can now run our first search query on the documents
table.
CONTAINS
SELECT * FROM Documents WHERE CONTAINS(Text,
N'songs')
This query will return me rows that the [Text] columns
containing the word "songs".

13. But when I run "SELECT * FROM Documents WHERE
CONTAINS(Text, N'song')", this query will return me no rows.
Since the [Text] column values does not contain the word
"song" but contains the word "songs"
If you wish to search for more than one words you can use
OR. But the syntax changes a little bit: N' "songs" OR "song" '
SELECT * FROM Documents WHERE CONTAINS(Text, N'
"songs" OR "song" ');
The character "*" can be used for zero or more any
characters. So I can get any words with containing "song" in
it.
SELECT * FROM Documents WHERE CONTAINS(Text, N'
"song*" ');
The below sample query will search for all rows where Text
column contains words of the form "song", like "songs", etc.
SELECT * FROM Documents WHERE CONTAINS(Text, N'
FORMSOF (INFLECTIONAL, song) ');
FREETEXT
The following query will find the given search criterias in a
text "By alerting you to potentially unsafe attachments, ...".
This query will search for all rows containing the words
related with ones in the search terms.
SELECT * FROM Documents WHERE FREETEXT(Text, N'safe
potential attachment');
CONTAINSTABLE
CONTAINSTABLE has the functionality of ranking within our
searches.
SELECT *
FROM Documents
INNER JOIN CONTAINSTABLE(Documents, [Text], 'songs') AS
KEY_TBL
ON Documents.DocumentId = KEY_TBL.[KEY]
Running the above query returned the following results on my
Documents table.

14. The last two columns in the result set that are named as
"KEY" and "RANK" are from ContainsTable command table
KEY_TBL
Key is the primary key value on the Documents table. And
Rank is the search rank for the search term in the related
row. Run the ContainsTable part alone.
SELECT * FROM CONTAINSTABLE(Documents, [Text],
'songs') AS KEY_TBL