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PHP/MySQL Search Engine - Recommendations

Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 11:01 pm
by nyfael
Hi,

I've started to build my own search engine and realized reinventing the wheel wasn't the smartest idea. I want a very good Search Engine, not something basic - I was wondering what ones were out there and what were recommended.

Preferrably something that uses RegExp, as you have much more control than using LIKE in MySQL.

Thanks,
Kerry

Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 11:02 pm
by feyd
Integrate Google.

Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 11:24 pm
by nyfael
They have a script that I can use to integrate to search my database?

-Kerry

Re: PHP/MySQL Search Engine - Recommendations

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 1:45 am
by Chris Corbyn
nyfael wrote:Preferrably something that uses RegExp, as you have much more control than using LIKE in MySQL.
AFAIK, google won't read your database no. It will read your web pages though.

As for using LIKE. That's not a very quick way to search in MySQL. You probably want a FULLTEXT search if your table type allows it. Also, for the record MySQL has REGEXP support ;)

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 1:49 am
by nyfael
I know, I want a premade search engine that can read my database (MySQL) that uses RegExp, mine uses RegExps right now, but I could seriously contiue improving this for months if not years to get up to some of the best ones today... which is a waste of time and money.

FULLTEXT search - how do I check if I have that functionality?

Thanks,
Kerry

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 2:06 am
by Chris Corbyn
nyfael wrote:I know, I want a premade search engine that can read my database (MySQL) that uses RegExp, mine uses RegExps right now, but I could seriously contiue improving this for months if not years to get up to some of the best ones today... which is a waste of time and money.

FULLTEXT search - how do I check if I have that functionality?

Thanks,
Kerry
I'm not aware of any premade search engines that you can use but I guess there will be some search APIs available.

As for FULLTEXT, read the manual ;)

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/ ... earch.html
MySQL Manual wrote:Full-text indexes can be used only with MyISAM tables, and can be created only for CHAR, VARCHAR, or TEXT columns.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 1:08 pm
by nyfael
You don't think there are any out there? There must be, so many sites have them, I'm making an article directory site, and there are many out there that have this functionality, and I highly doubt their programmers each made their own.

Thanks for that! Very useful, I've started reading over it.

-Kerry

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 1:11 pm
by John Cartwright
If you want to search your database, it is going to be highly specific. I doubt there are any generic database search engines out there. Creating a fulltext search engine is actually quite simple, give it a try.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:16 pm
by nyfael
It doesn't have to be specific at all, I just would like to be able to specify the source of what its searching through, in this case, tables in my database.

I haven't been able to figure out if my MySQL supports FULLTEXT (I am using a MyISAM table). Still trying to understand that.

-Kerry

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:20 pm
by John Cartwright
nyfael wrote:I haven't been able to figure out if my MySQL supports FULLTEXT (I am using a MyISAM table). Still trying to understand that.
This was answered in a previous post :?

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:31 pm
by nyfael
I know - haven't finished reading it. Hence trying :)

-Kerry