Searching sucks
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The document discusses tips for improving search functionality in applications. It recommends that all data be made searchable (Rule 1) and to avoid structured search interfaces in favor of free-text search (Rule 2). Other tips include predicting search results to help users (Rule 4), clustering similar results (Rule 5), and using full-text search tools like Solr that can provide fast search over large amounts of text-based data. Solr improves search by allowing for full-text search, sorting, highlighting, faceting, and has basic spatial search capabilities for points data. The overall message is that search is important and these tips can help users locate data more easily.
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Searching sucks
- 2. Having to search means you can’t find something easily mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 3. All good applications have a facility to search mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 4. Some are better than others…. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 5. Your whole application suffers if your users can’t find something easily. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 6. So here are some of my tips on searching mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 7. In many cases we search for things on maps mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 8. …we’re searching to locate something. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 9. Rule #1. Make the things on your maps searchable. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 10. We often use textual information to perform these searches.. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 11. An address, place name, asset number, description, anything… mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 12. In many cases the information your users have is unstructured mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 13. Sometimes they don’t even know what they’re looking for! mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 14. Rule #2. Avoid structured search interfaces. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 15. We don’t like waiting! mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 16. Google, once again, sets a certain expectation! mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 17. Rule #3. Slow searches just don’t cut the mustard. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 18. It’s nice to get a helping hand while you search, tell me things I might want to find. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 19. Rule #4. Predict & Sort mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 20. When there’s lots of information then help your users mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 21. Guide your users, use a type and group on the basis of this type mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 22. Rule #5. Cluster mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 23. If you normally provide a search facility in your application by writing a SQL statement then you may want to listen carefully to the next bit. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 24. Full Text Searching can help. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 25. In a full text search, the search engine examines all of the words in every stored document as it tries to match search words supplied by the user. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 27. You can’t talk about Solr before talking about Lucene mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 28. Lucene = Apache Open Source High Performance Text Search Engine mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 29. Lucene = 100% Java mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 30. Lucene = Incredibly Fast Indexing (This is where you might write some SQL) mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 31. Indexing = Stuffing the stuff you’re interested in, into documents that Lucene loves. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 32. So what is Solr? mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 33. Sits on top of Lucene mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 34. Provides a RESTful interface over Lucene goodness mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 35. Why is Solr important for Spatial Applications? mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 36. Solr does all the things your application needs to do in terms of searching. mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 37. Here are just a few… mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 38. Full Text Search & Sorting mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 47. Solr has some basic spatial goodness mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 48. Points only at the moment mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
- 51. Don’t make it hard for your users to find your data!thanks mapbutcher@mapbutcher.com
Editor's Notes
- This might sound stupid but we’re increasingly dependent upon search facilities on websites.
- If the content your user wants is not immediately visible on your website then the power of your searching is critical to your applications success. Mapping applications are especially relevant here – content is embedded in maps.
- Yes – it may seem obvious but when presented with a map our users are searching for something on a map – a location for example.
- This is important and often neglected in many web GIS applications - there’s often an assumption that your users know something about your data and maps.
- If your search facility doesn’t do predictive it’s a big fail. Predictive searching stops your users making mistakes!Sorting your results in the next step - telling them what they might be looking for is cool, but getting it right is even cooler!
- Because maps usually have layers then grouping your search results can be useful.Remembering what I said earlier then sometimes your users don’t know what they’re looking for and they appreciate an aid
- Because maps usually have layers then grouping your search results can be useful.Remembering what I said earlier then sometimes your users don’t know what they’re looking for and they appreciate a middle step
- The basis of clustering in search is to provide intermediate steps into your resources – group and count, group and count, group and count
- The basis of full text searching is…………
- The basis of full text searching is…………
- Talk briefly about Solr…
- Queries are executed by issuing HTTP GET requests
- Queries are executed by issuing HTTP GET requests
- Queries are executed by issuing HTTP GET requests