Wikipedia talk:Searching

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[edit] Proposal: Link to a search of the same word in another language

I often use the Firefox search box to look for a word in Wikipedia. However, this will only search the english part of wikipedia. I would highly appreciate a language list on the search page which would switch to the search in another language, looking for the same word. Other opinions? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.187.179.91 (talk) 08:21, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] other external wikipedia search engines

There are some other websites indexing wikipedia's articles. To name a few: seariki.com, wikiseek.com. Should they be included? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.57.167.154 (talk) 08:25, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Do people actually use this?

I always just look for things by typing the article title into the web address. That's the way I have always done it, and I'm wondering whether people do the same.--h i s s p a c e r e s e a r c h 10:00, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Advanced search

An advanced search link would be included near the search box, to look for in some concrete name spaces (i.e. wikipedia: image: and so on), without change every time the search preference (i.e. it can be interesting to look for in the wikipedia: meta pages once, but no forever). --Nukeless 10:54, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

I think this is a great idea. This page would have (at a minimum) the same checkboxes as the "Search in namespaces" box found at the bottom of a search results page. --AlastairIrvine (talk) 14:51, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Search Engine is horrible

Can someone explain why the search engine is so horrible? I have had the following happen to me several times: type something into the search box of my browser and find no hits from Wikipedia, but then when I enter the same phrase into Google, the wiki article I was originally searching for is the first article that appears. I think that the default search of Wikipedia should use Google's algorithm's because Wikipedia has by far the worst searching algorithm I have ever seen on the internet. And seriously, Google's search is pretty much the best out there. </rant> --141.212.142.247 (talk) 16:23, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia's search function uses the open source Lucene engine. It's at least a de facto policy of the Wikimedia Foundation to use open source software (Google's search is not). Given that alternatives (like Google) exist, improving Wikipedia's native search is not a high priority for the (mostly volunteer) developers who work on the software that runs the site. BTW - I think Wikipedia's search beats the hell out of Google's encyclopedia content. -- Rick Block (talk) 19:54, 5 December 2007 (UTC)
I would differ greatly. Google provides for the creation of custom search engines. On my main health website, I have dropped Google's site search for a couple of different Google custom search engines. I would call them open source XHTML. They are as about as free as you can get.
I think that I will add a Wikipedia Custom Search feature to my blog. -- John Gohde (talk) 20:49, 22 December 2007 (UTC)bumface gronola

[edit] Contents

The Contents at the top of the page is wrong. Libcub (talk) 06:00, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

It's a customized short version, but all the links work. The full ToC is very long. -- Quiddity (talk) 07:20, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
I can see why one might not want all the level 2 and below headings to show, but shouldn't it at least show all the level 1 headings? It's missing Internal search engines (New),Searching with TomeRaider,If you cannot find an appropriate page on Wikipedia, and Notes. Libcub (talk) 18:03, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Poor upkeep? A half-hearted attempt to keep things simple? I don't know. I've added them, except "Notes" which doesn't really need one, and removed "Internal search engines" (see below). -- Quiddity (talk) 20:09, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
This page needs an overhaul in general. I still believe some sort of merge (archived proposal) with Wikipedia:Look it up is worth thinking about. -- Quiddity (talk) 07:20, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Merging makes sense to me. Libcub (talk) 18:03, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Also, why is "Notes" indented to the left of the other level 1 headings? Libcub (talk) 18:03, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Fixed. -- Quiddity (talk) 20:09, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Removed section

I'm removing this section (and copying below), as it doesn't appear to do anything useful currently (development halted since March 2007). -- Quiddity (talk) 20:09, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

==Internal search engines (New)== Recently, new ''internal'' search engines were created. These search engines can search Wikipedia articles, meanwhile they are user-friendly and are integrated into Wikipedia for a good experience. They aren't as good as external search engines though. ===WikEh?=== WikEh? is a '''Wikipedian-friendly''' search engine that searches the articles you want fast. It also searches images that are on Wikipedia. Users can give it a try by clicking on the link below. * [[Wikipedia:WikEh?/Home/|Search Wikipedia with WikEh?]]

[edit] Stop Words

Before when nothing was found after a search links would come up to external search engines such as Google to search the site for the same keyword. This has been replaced with a information box about stop words, which according to the article about them are no longer an issue due to changed software. Can this error be reverted? 76.24.87.115 (talk) 18:22, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] ouch < | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/special:search/ >.

Search used to result in an estimate of how many pages it had thought that it had located; this number had frequently been less than accurate: ostensibly it does not communicate w/ itself very well. Now, that number, in the past several days, has disappeared.

Why?

[[ hopiakuta Please do sign your signature on your message. ~~ Thank You. -]] 01:55, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Numbers have returned,.... How? Why?

[[ hopiakuta Please do sign your signature on your message. ~~ Thank You. -]] 01:30, 25 March 2008 (UTC)


[edit] Context

Somebody removed the section that said "By default, when a search is performed with no user logged in, context is not displayed in the list of search results. When a user is logged in, context may be displayed, and this parameter is modifiable in "My Preferences". " Why? 74.69.82.49 (talk) 20:24, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

The change in question. I'm not at all sure, but possibly due to a few of the items in these lists of "Fixed bugs" and "Other changes": Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-03-24/Technology report#Fixed bugs. Lots of tweaks to the search lately. That help? -- Quiddity (talk) 21:40, 29 March 2008 (UTC)
I made the change after seeing [1]. When I log out, I get context in searches, also after closing and reopening the browser. Is it different for you? Maybe there is something in my browser cache influencing results but I don't want to clear the cache. PrimeHunter (talk) 02:28, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Button name change

Hmm. That was odd. Though it's cleared up, I could have sworn the "Go" and "Search" buttons had been briefly replaced by "I'm Feeling Lucky"—a la Google.com—and "Wacky Search," respectively. Ace Class Shadow; My talk. 22:25, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

That was one of many April Fools' Day pranks. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:59, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Wildcards in WP search

The following "help" is useless; it doesn't tell you how to use wildcards in WP searches:

Wikipedia:Searching#Wildcards
Please exercise self restraint when using wildcard characters, as they take a toll on the server. See Boolean fulltext search for details on their use.

Is there somewhere that does tell you how to use wildcards in WP searches? Pdfpdf (talk) 03:50, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Is Boolean fulltext search not clear enough? What are you trying to do? -- Rick Block (talk) 04:22, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Now that I know that "WP search uses 'Boolean fulltext search', as descibed in Boolean fulltext search", it probably is clear enough! Thanks for your help, Pdfpdf (talk) 04:41, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What is wrong with the searching?

When you search, it only searches the text of the title and not the contents now, and you cannot make it search the contents of an article. That is annoying. Rcduggan (talk) 11:40, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

The Search facility now also doesn't present the previous options of searching through Categories, Templates, etc. What's up? Michael Bednarek (talk) 12:13, 8 April 2008 (UTC)
I currently get this on any search: "Wikipedia search is disabled for performance reasons. You can search via Google or Yahoo! in the meantime". Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)#Where are the servers?? says other things have been down earlier. I guess we just have to wait for all things to be enabled. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:29, 8 April 2008 (UTC)
Thanks, I see that now. If in doubt, read what's on the screen. — apologies. Michael Bednarek (talk) 12:34, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] When there is no article on the word you typed in

Why not add the Google etc. links as is done when the search isn't working? If Wikipedia doesn't have an article on something it's at least nice to give people a leg up to a better site. Richard001 (talk) 08:37, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

Also, a link to Wiktionary would be good to, as it's often difficult to know if a word will have its own article or not. Richard001 (talk) 04:41, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Auto-fill in search box?

I've recently noticed that the search box auto-suggests article titles based on my typing. Is this a MediaWiki feature in a recent version? An extension? How does it do this!? I'd like to add it — whatever it is — to wikis I administer. Timneu22 (talk) 10:12, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

I don't know how to administer wikis but maybe you can find what you need at Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)#MediaWiki Suggest (for lack of a better link). PrimeHunter (talk) 00:10, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
There is a relatively recent posting about how this was implemented at Brion's blog (see the Open Wiki Planet aggregator blog). -- John Broughton (♫♫) 22:10, 28 April 2008 (UTC)
How do you turn it off? Frickeg (talk) 04:40, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
For your Wikipedia account, go to Special:Preferences, click the Search tab, check "Disable AJAX suggestions", click "Save" button. PrimeHunter (talk) 22:47, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
Thanks. Frickeg (talk) 06:05, 2 May 2008 (UTC)
Do you have a direct link to the post, please? I couldn't find it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.195.86.40 (talk) 23:33, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Problem with auto-fill box covering Go and Search buttons

The auto-fill box now drops down and covers the Go and Search buttons. Great feature but this presents a problem for those who like the Search results page. Could the "drop-down" box come out on the side of the search box instead? It took me awhile to notice a way around this by pointing and clicking on a blank area, which makes the drop-down box retreat. Thanks 172.134.250.104 (talk) 00:16, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Image Searching Not Working

I'm searching "Google Earth" with only the "Image" checkbox checked. Nothing comes up. Subsequent searches for other things turn up nothing. It's worked before. Please help. -- VegitaU (talk) 05:58, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

I get 271 hits in that search.[2] I don't know whether there has been problems with search earlier today. Do you still have problems? PrimeHunter (talk) 21:25, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
Nope. Must've been a glitch last night. Thanks, -- VegitaU (talk) 21:49, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

Hm. Maybe not it's not working at the moment (03:53, 22 May 2008 (UTC))). It seems to not work around this time every day. Is something up? -- VegitaU (talk) 03:53, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

It works for me now (and it displays the images which I haven't seen before). The time you give is not practical for me to test. I would be surprised if there is a specific daily time interval where image search fails, but there may be times where Wikipedia tends to get more traffic and expensive things like search are more likely to have problems. PrimeHunter (talk) 12:37, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] blank search

can the blank serch be made to redirect to the homepage.

1) why not
2)searchbars selecting wikipedia and enter should talk you home
3)allows binding of a "keyword" to wiki search so wiki foo goes to foo but wiki still goes to wikipedia

--82.35.192.193 (talk) 14:38, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Searching the database

Is there a way to search the raw source of the wiki with case sensitive or regexps without downloading the whole thing? A website that hosts a mirror of it, perhaps? Even an out of date mirror would be fine. For instance, I want to search for specific patterns to look for false positives for a Mediawiki proposal. — Omegatron (talk) 00:39, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How about a tool to search old versions of an article?

It would be helpful before considering revising an article to see if a particular topic has already been added, removed, added, and removed. Not that that would always keep one from adding it again, but it would still be helpful to know about the earlier revisions. Often that sort of activity leaves a mark on the talk page, but not always. The tool I am thinking of would search for terms throughout the entire revision history of an article, and return them in the context of adjacent text, displaying the range of time over which the relevant text remained in the article. It should not be terribly difficult to write, as the links to earlier versions are all accessible on the history page. The trick would be in figuring a good way to display the results. Any thoughts on the utility of such a tool? Jbening (talk) 02:24, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Auto-fill suggest box thing

The text says "Wikipedia suggests articles matching your entry as you type in Firefox since version 2.x only; this function is not available in Internet Explorer 7.0." but I use internet explorer and it suggests articles to me. Not that I'm complaining! but shouldn't the text change to reflect that?

On another note, the reason why I came to this page, is there any way that the auto-suggest could be filtered to not suggest redirects? It would be a good way of finding article duplicates, badly named articles etc if it could. I must warn that I'm not technical at all at computers or script, so apologies if that was a stupid question! Jdcooper (talk) 00:57, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Problem with "exact match only"

I wanted to find an article with the word "owl" in conjunction with a specific username. Per WP:SEARCH I tried searching "owl" "username" and +"owl" +"username" (in my actual search "username" was of course a specific username).
Along with the correct hits I get false hits on such words as "knowledgeable", "Dowling", and "bowl" which contain *owl*.
Am I doing something wrong or is the search engine? -- Writtenonsand (talk) 13:46, 13 June 2008 (UTC)