Ultraseek 102

How can I use the engine to search just my pages?

Ultraseek allows MIT web publishers to create a customized search interface for a specific set of pages. Ultraseek gives you a number of options for creating a search interface, from a simple box to an advanced menu-driven interface.

You do need a basic understanding of forms to build a more advanced search. Examples search pages that provide ideas of what can be done include Information Systems, IAP, and the News Office.

The types of variables publishers can set are in four areas: where to search, what to search for, where in time the results should come from, and how to show the results.

Where to Search
With Ultraseek, you have the option of searching

• a locker or subdirectory of pages
• multiple lockers or web servers
• all of MIT's web content
• the Internet

qp - query prefix
qp is usually specified as a hidden variable and designates one or more lockers, subdirectories or sites to search.
Typical Values: locker or site name
Syntax:
<input type=hidden name=qp value="url:web.mit.edu/is">
<input type=hidden name=qp value="url:web.mit.edu/is">

rq - requested query
rq can be used to designate more "global" search areas
Values: 0 - start a new search, 1 - search these results, 2 - search the Web
Syntax:
<input type="radio" name="rq" value="2" onclick="setCols(false)">

What to Search For
You have a number of options that you can provide users, which are normally provided using a scroll menu or drop list. You can repeat the parameters with different names to provide more options to users.

op0 - option
Syntax:
<select name=op0>
<option value="">should contain
<option value="+" selected>must contain
<option value="-">must not contain
</select>

fl0 - field
Syntax:
<select name=fl0>
<option value="" selected>in the body
<option value="title:">in the title
<option value="url:">in the URL
<option value="site:">in the site name
<option value="link:">in a link
<option value="imagelink:">in an image link
<option value="alt:">in image alt text
<option value="description:">in the description
<option value="keywords:">in the keywords
</select>

ty0 - type
Syntax:
<select name=ty0>
<option value="w" selected>the words
<option value="p">the phrase
<option value="n">the name
</select>

tx0 - query text
Syntax:
<input type=text name=tx0 size=50 value="" maxlength=512>

Where in Time
We now have the capability to search for documents by the document timestamp. If you have a site that has frequent updates, such as a research site or a newsletter, your documents with have different dates on them. Users might search for documents that were updated in the last week, month or year.

dt - date dt specifies results from a time period starting now and back n time units.
Syntax:
<input type=radio name=dt value=in></td>
<select name=inthe onchange="document.seek.dt[1].checked=true">
<option value=604800 selected>in the last week
<option value=2592000>in the last 30 days
<option value=7776000>in the last 90 days
<option value=31536000>in the last year
</select>

amo and ady and ayr - starting month, day and year.
bmo and bdy and byr - ending month, day and year.
Syntax:
<select name=amo onchange="document.seek.dt[2].checked=true">
<option value=1 selected>January
...
<option value=11>November
<option value=12>December
</select>
<input name=ady size=2 maxlength=2 value=17 onchange="document.seek.dt[2].checked=true">,
<input name=ayr size=4 maxlength=4 value=1998 onchange="document.seek.dt[2].checked=true">
<p>and on or before<p>
<select name=bmo onchange="document.seek.dt[2].checked=true">
<option value=1 selected>January
...
<option value=12>December
</select>
<input name=bdy size=2 maxlength=2 value=24 onchange="document.seek.dt[2].checked=true">,
<input name=byr size=4 maxlength=4 value=1998 onchange="document.seek.dt[2].checked=true">

How to Show the Results
Ultraseek allows users to choose how they see results from a query, including number of hits, how they are sorted, and if summaries are shown.

nh - number of hits per page
Syntax:
<select name=nh>
<option value="10" selected>10 hits
<option value="25">25 hits
<option value="100">100 hits
<option value="500">500 hits
</select>

rf - sort by relevance or date
Syntax:
<select name=rf>
<option value="0" selected>sort by relevance
<option value="1">sort by date
</select>

lk - show or hide summaries
Syntax:
<select name=lk>
<option value="1" selected>show summaries
<option value="2">hide summaries
</select>
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