Feature request: Search functionality for short strings

[Johan]

Can the forum search be extended to accept strings with two or three characters, optionally starting with a number, for example:

"BMS"

"16S"

...and what syntax to use for searches for threads where *all* search terms must appear (e.g. "BMS" AND "16S")?

Maybe a link can be added on the search page to some existing external site (e.g. the "platform" on which this forum is based or so) where the syntax is defined?

 

[PatBlack]

I second this request. I mistakenly started a new thread with that same request, but I have no way to delete my thread. (Which leads me to request that any OP be able to delete a thread if no one has yet to post in it!)

The search tool does not allow a three-character search. This made it hard for me to find threads on the MPP solar boxes. You can't search MPP, and if you add the word solar as a search term, that pretty much returns every thread on the forum. I also wanted to find the FAQ, but couldn't search that because it's just 3 characters. Hope that's an easy fix, would be nice, thanks!

 

[WoodsieLord]

This is a very common problem with forums. They rely on databases and the search functionality works by indexing words. When you tell the indexer to catch short words, the index grows so big that becomes a problem.

Depending on the forum platform being used (database engine included), there might or might not be an option to index shorter or specific words. If available, administrators could manually add 3 letter jargon words.

I wouldn't bet on this feature coming anytime soon.

The only workaround I could suggest is searching phrases using quotes.
For example the word WILL would fail, but you can search for will prowse using quotes ( "will prowse" including quotes ). I know it is sometimes not useful at all.

Regards!

 

[Will Prowse]

FINALLY found the option to change this. Goodness that was hard. There are so many options for this forum. I tried to disable this before with no luck.