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Difference between revisions of "Proposals/Done/Search 2.0"

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m (clean up formatting)
(reorganize items, remove the stuff we've done already)
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There are a few elements in here which aren't directly related to search but that are designed to provide more metadata and therefore improve the quality of searches.
 
There are a few elements in here which aren't directly related to search but that are designed to provide more metadata and therefore improve the quality of searches.
  
=Revive search/solr/ plugin=
+
=Backend work=
 +
 
 +
==Revive search/solr/ plugin==
  
 
Not sure about the state of this one but we're told it no longer works (see [https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/680710 bug #680710])
 
Not sure about the state of this one but we're told it no longer works (see [https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/680710 bug #680710])
  
=Add user tags=
+
==Facetted search pages==
  
These tags will be '''defined by each user''' in their profile area. They will be displayed as part of the '''Profile Info block'''.
+
(This may require the Solr search plugin and not have a fallback for the internal search plugin.)
  
Furthermore, these tags will be searchable in the "Find friends" and "Copy page" searches.
+
Each of the following existing searches will include a few facets.
  
=Add group tags=
+
* user search ("Find friends"): insitution, institution category, user tags, role (e.g. staff, admin, other)
 +
* group search ("Find groups"): group category, group type, group tags
 +
* page search ("Shared pages"): institution, institution category, page tags, user tags (user pages), user role (user pages only), group tags (group pages only), group category (group pages only)
  
These tags will be '''defined by group owners''' in the group settings. They will be displayed as part of the '''Group Info block''' on the group homepage.
+
==Full-text search for "Shared pages"==
  
The tags will be searchable in the "Find groups" searches.
+
(This may require the Solr search plugin and not have a fallback for the internal search plugin.)
  
=Add institution categories=
+
This will allow users to search in the contents of pages that are visible to them:
  
These new categories will be '''defined at the system level''' by the site administrator and the UI will be similar to the one for defining group categories.
+
* artefact content (where it makes sense)
 +
* artefact description and tags
 +
* filenames
 +
* file contents (e.g. PDF, ODF, Word documents, text files)
  
When creating a new institution, a new drop down of categories (including a "no category" category) will be shown if categories have been defined by the site admin.
+
=Extra Tagging=
  
=5 Create a new "Page Tags" block=
+
==Add user tags==
  
Users are already able to assign tags to the pages they create but these tags aren't displayed anywhere on these pages.
+
We currently have tags for users but they are set by the system and are not user-editable.
  
=Landing pages for tags=
+
We will make new types of tags which will be '''defined by each user''' in their profile area. They will be displayed as part of the '''Profile Info block'''.
  
When tags are displayed anywhere, it will be in the form of links that will lead to index/landing pages which will display other similar items.
+
Furthermore, these tags will be searchable in the "Find friends" and "Copy page" searches.
  
There will therefore be three different landing pages displaying items:
+
==Add group tags==
  
* one for all users tagged with a particular tag (can be optionally restricted to one of the institution you belong to)
+
These tags will be '''defined by group owners''' in the group settings. They will be displayed as part of the '''Group Info block''' on the group homepage.
* one for publicly visible groups tagged with a particular tag
 
* one for pages (views) accessible to the current user and tagged with a particular tag
 
  
=Make the user search "AND" terms together=
+
The tags will be searchable in the "Find groups" searches.
  
Currently, a user search for "John Doe" (without quotes) returns all users that match '''either''' "John" '''or''' "Doe". A much more useful results would be to return the users that '''match both terms'''.
+
Group categories will be replaced with group tags.
  
This includes the "Find friends" search page as well as the owner portion of the "Copy page" search functionality.
+
==Create a new "Page Tags" block==
  
=Facetted search pages=
+
Users are already able to assign tags to the pages they create but these tags aren't displayed anywhere on these pages.
  
(This may require the Solr search plugin and not have a fallback for the internal search plugin.)
+
==Landing pages for tags==
  
Each of the following existing searches will include a few facets.
+
When tags are displayed anywhere, it will be in the form of links that will lead to index/landing pages which will display other similar items.
  
* user search ("Find friends"): insitution, institution category, user tags, role (e.g. staff, admin, other)
+
There will therefore be three different landing pages displaying items:
* group search ("Find groups"): group category, group type, group tags
 
* page search ("Shared pages"): institution, institution category, page tags, user tags (user pages), user role (user pages only), group tags (group pages only), group category (group pages only)
 
  
=Full-text search for "Shared pages"=
+
* one for all users tagged with a particular tag (can be optionally restricted to one of the institution you belong to)
 
+
* one for publicly visible groups tagged with a particular tag
(This may require the Solr search plugin and not have a fallback for the internal search plugin.)
+
* one for pages (views) accessible to the current user and tagged with a particular tag
 
 
This will allow users to search in the contents of pages that are visible to them:
 
 
 
* artefact content (where it makes sense)
 
* artefact description and tags
 
* filenames
 
* file contents (e.g. PDF, ODF, Word documents, text files)
 

Revision as of 12:37, 25 January 2012

This is a proposal for improving the search experience in Mahara. It covers searching for users, groups and pages (views).

There are a few elements in here which aren't directly related to search but that are designed to provide more metadata and therefore improve the quality of searches.

Backend work

Revive search/solr/ plugin

Not sure about the state of this one but we're told it no longer works (see bug #680710)

Facetted search pages

(This may require the Solr search plugin and not have a fallback for the internal search plugin.)

Each of the following existing searches will include a few facets.

  • user search ("Find friends"): insitution, institution category, user tags, role (e.g. staff, admin, other)
  • group search ("Find groups"): group category, group type, group tags
  • page search ("Shared pages"): institution, institution category, page tags, user tags (user pages), user role (user pages only), group tags (group pages only), group category (group pages only)

Full-text search for "Shared pages"

(This may require the Solr search plugin and not have a fallback for the internal search plugin.)

This will allow users to search in the contents of pages that are visible to them:

  • artefact content (where it makes sense)
  • artefact description and tags
  • filenames
  • file contents (e.g. PDF, ODF, Word documents, text files)

Extra Tagging

Add user tags

We currently have tags for users but they are set by the system and are not user-editable.

We will make new types of tags which will be defined by each user in their profile area. They will be displayed as part of the Profile Info block.

Furthermore, these tags will be searchable in the "Find friends" and "Copy page" searches.

Add group tags

These tags will be defined by group owners in the group settings. They will be displayed as part of the Group Info block on the group homepage.

The tags will be searchable in the "Find groups" searches.

Group categories will be replaced with group tags.

Create a new "Page Tags" block

Users are already able to assign tags to the pages they create but these tags aren't displayed anywhere on these pages.

Landing pages for tags

When tags are displayed anywhere, it will be in the form of links that will lead to index/landing pages which will display other similar items.

There will therefore be three different landing pages displaying items:

  • one for all users tagged with a particular tag (can be optionally restricted to one of the institution you belong to)
  • one for publicly visible groups tagged with a particular tag
  • one for pages (views) accessible to the current user and tagged with a particular tag