This document provides an overview of how to build a search engine using Searchbox, which is a search framework built on top of the Solr search platform. It discusses that while Solr is powerful, it requires additional development to build a full search experience. Searchbox addresses this by providing tools to index data, configure search experiences through presets and facets, and customize the interface through templates. The document outlines the basic steps to set up a search project with Searchbox, including indexing data, configuring search options, and designing templates. It highlights some sample search experiences that can be created and encourages exploring more through online documentation and a free trial.

1. HOW TO BUILD YOUR
SEARCH ENGINE
by Searchbox.com

2. INTRODUCTION
About Searchbox: About Solr:
Highly configurable search Blazing fast open source
framework on top of Solr enterprise search platform
Search frontend / UI Lucene-based search server
Available as a Service Has REST-like HTTP/XML
and JSON APIs

3. SOLR IS GREAT BUT...
It remains a search server
XML, JSON or CSV output
Solaritas frontend / Velocity templates for quick
prototype
Users expect a lot when it comes to Search Experience

4. SOLR OUTPUT SAMPLE
Solaritas XML Output

5. LOTS OF WORK IN
PERSPECTIVE
Building your own UI
on top of Solr will be a
BIG project. Think
about:
Advanced filters,
Presets (datasources),
Facetted search,
Result highlight, ...

6. INTRODUCING SEARCHBOX
Can be seen on: http://www.opportunity-finder.com

7. A SEARCH PROJECT
WITH SEARCHBOX
1. Identify your information sources
2. Index those sources into our Solr Backend using:
2.1. Our Connector framework (RSS, WEB, XML,
CMIS / Sharepoint, TYPO3, ...)
2.2.The Standard Solr API with a client library
2.3. Custom DataImportHandlers for large datasets
3. Configure / Shape the search experience

8. CONFIGURE / SHAPE THE
SEARCH EXPERIENCE

9. AGENDA
Here we assume you signed up to a free trial and you indexed some data
1. Look at the available fields
2. Define a search preset
3. Define required fields / search criterias
4. Create a visualization template for your data
5. Configure user filters / facets

10. This is the search
framework (searchbox.com)
backend

11. In this example we
have 204 documents

12. A preset
can’t work without a
unique key and a
title

13. Our Prest
We didn’t
define any
field yet

14. We weight the title
more than the rest

15. We now have three
fields

16. Now we
have three fields on the
result page
... But no template

17. This is a pretty basic
template, in that case the id is
a url

18. Query completion +
live search
We now have a basic
search experience

19. Now we
create a facet based on the
“source”

20. Sticky facets based on
the data source

21. We only want the documents
for source “site”

22. We renamed the preset
We no longer have
the facets

23. THIS WAS A PRETTY
SIMPLE SEARCHBOX

24. NOW LET’S LOOK AT
SOME SAMPLES
Demos can be found on
http://www.searchbox.com/resources/online-demos/

25. “Sort by”
“Clickable
tags”
Range
facets with
histogram

26. Semantically
related
content
Basic
dynamic
template

27. 6 Presets
with distinct
parameters
Left
template
column with
meta
Related
content from a
different data
source

28. WHAT’S NEXT
Check our online documentation
http://help.searchbox.com
Check our website
http://www.searchbox.com
Sign up to a free trial
http://www.searchbox.com/free-trial/