How do you use the database? (1 Viewer)

[mjp]

I've been doing a little work on the new database interface and I thought I'd ask here how you use the database (if you do). I'm usually just looking for which book a title is in, so it's a basic search. But I wanted to expand the options, since the new database will be a little more flexible.

So far what I have is the text field, just like the current search, only with two buttons:
- Loose match (looks for a match anywhere, even parts of words)
- Exact match (matches only exactly what you enter)

Then under that are "Search options:"
- Highlight your search term
- Search only books (or click here to list books)
- Search only magazines (or click here to list magazines)
- Search only manuscripts
- Restrict above search to a specific year: [year dropdown]

What I guess I'm looking for is how you guys use the database and what you'd like it to do. A simple search will always be easy to do - type a word or title and hit enter - but the options will be there for those who want to use them. I assume that most everyone does simple searches, and is just looking for the same thing I usually am -- "What book was that poem in?"

 

[hoochmonkey9]

I'm a simple user.... when little mags come up on ebay I use it to see if the poems are collected or not. If not, I bid.

 

[cirerita]

As you know, I use it a lot for the diss. so my input wouldn't be useful from a standard point of view. But I think it'd be a good thing to keep the possibility to see all the appearances of a given poem/story in different books, magazines, etc.

maybe in the search function you could add the "AND", "OR" and "NOT" markers, such as when a search is made in a forum. that could be useful if you remember a few words of the title -especially a title with common words- but you're not sure which ones; otherwise, in the case of titles with common words, you could get a VERY long list of entries adnd it becomes kind of tiresome to find the one you're looking for.

 

[reasonknot]

exact match can be frustrating to a half wit
like myself
i used it a bit like you said
searching which places a poem had appeared
but memories blur so partial title searches would be great
man oh man
building the perfect site..
so nice to be a witness

 

[reasonknot]

and what cire said

 

[mjp]

maybe in the search function you could add the "AND", "OR" and "NOT" markers

Hmm, more complicated, but I'll see if I can do it.

 

[cirerita]

I just thought you could have a general search window and then a link for advanced search -as in most forums- where the AND NOT OR markers could be used.

 

[mjp]

Yeah, that's how it's shaping up. I don't want it to be complicated for the casual user.