Problems with the search since the migration

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Yes, if one doesn't FORCE the search (using AND/OR/NOT/* - boolean operators - see the faq linked to above) to search for ONLY those posts/thread titles with ONLY those words standing in some relationship to one another - your choice - then you'll end up with just about everything under the sun and nothing you want). Asterisk * is wild card: Say I do an advanced search (titles/posts only) for `feather', this will return 42244. If I add the * onto feather in the search: 'feather*' I'll have 43297 returned (any variation of feather, e.g., feathered, feathering, etc.) comes in handy. ed:clarity/format
 
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Okay, I do understand that, but what I'm getting at is getting to the post AFTER the results are returned. I'm just hoping its possible to add a link so that one can go directly to the post instead of having to open the thread and search through the thread to find the post that contains the information. I.e., I'm not so concerned with how to conduct a search, as how to get to the results I need after the search has returned results. I guess I'm not making sense?

Right now, I can go to Google and type in the same search criteria and one of the results may be the same thread that was returned by the search here on the forum, but when I click on the hyperlink, it won't take me to the first post in the thread - it will take me right to the post in that thread, where the information is that meets the search key words I searched on in the first place.
 
Sounds like you need to select the "Narrow Results" box and select "Posts only" That will take you directly to the post and not the thread's first post.

Searching forums is very tricky because sometimes you want the results shown as topics and sometimes shown as posts. Fortunately the "Advanced Search" provides options for both (and a lot of other fine tuning).

Again, please try your search with the "Narrow Results" box and select "Posts only" and see if that gives you what you are looking for.
 
HEChicken,
I had been having all sorts of difficulties, too, but a couple of the posts just before this reply ( see posts by Nifty Chicken and Ivan 3) did narrow in specifically on the problem: I had this trouble too and finally figured it out by experimentation a couple of weeks ago: Using ADVANCED SEARCH, look at I believe it is the third option down, where you can choose between "entire site" and "posts only". This is a HUGELY important choice. If you leave it to the default of "entire site" you get your thousands of results with no way to figure out what post in the thread of perhaps 20,000 posts, your info might lie. Instead, using "posts only" you will get a page of results showing the beginning of each specific post that has the info or at least the search terms you put in. (Don't be mislead by the few lines it shows, because often that is a quote that the poster included in his reply.) Simply click on "view full post" and see if you get the info you wanted. If not, go back one page on your browser to view the search results again, and click on the next result, where it says "view full post". Continue on that way. Of course if you find relevant info, you can follow other posts in that thread forward or backwards, etc. sometimes I've found it difficult to back up to the search results and have to renenter my terms and settings. That might be my own computer's fault, though, not sure.

As Nifty or maybe it was Ivan3 said, another important choice in the advanced search is that you can search for "titles only". Presumably that would yield whole threads, much of which's info should be related to the words in the title. But not always. I think it is good to search both ways. The way I mentioned in paragraph 1, and then also try using "titles only" but for this you probably need to leave option 3 at the default of "entire site" for it to be efficient. When you get time, try these out please, and if I've not explained well, please PM me..I still am not figuring out how to see what threads have new replies in my subscriptions, so I might not notice if you ask me for more explanation here in an actual thread reply.

Good luck! I also plan when time allows to try Ivan3's links for how to use that specific programming tool that BYC's search function is based on.
 
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Beautiful_Chickens said:
Hmm, sorry for typo. Beginning of my last post should read "I had been having..." I know others have corrected their posts, but I don't know how to.
Click to expand...

Haha - I can help you with that one! In the lower left corner of your post after you have submitted it, there is a little pencil icon. Click on that and it will allow you to edit your post. There is some kind of delay so if you edit within the first few minutes after posting, it doesn't even show an "post last edited by...." line.

Thanks for the other info. I've been experimenting since the conversation with Ivan earlier this week and have been getting better results.
 
One potentially confusing format issue with Advanced Search format was pointed out by Gargoyle, in this thread, earlier today: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/640632/advanced-search-page-layout-can-be-misleading
Gargoyle wrote: Example - using advanced search, after entering parameters (such as "titles only", "posts only") you need to scroll way down to the "search" button at the bottom right of the page. Initially that button is not visible when entering parameters; however the default menu bar search button, which uses the same graphic, is visible at the top of the page. That means it is more obvious and simpler to click that upper search button. However, that button only pulls from requests in the field next to it, leading to incorrect results or no results (depending on whether you had left a word typed in there).
Click to expand...
Always uses the search button at the bottom of the screen:
 
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