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any recommendations?

[newnewbie1]

Hi!
I've got a client that is looking for a "free" search tool that will allow you to search her HTML content and group them into sections.

She wants it to work like the amazon.com search, where you can select from a dropdown menu which section of the website she wants to search...

Like on amazon, you can search through books, cds, videos ect...

Any suggestions? I don't thinks she's gonna get this for free do you?
;)

[tedster]

Under their "extended features" Freefind offers the ability to " Search subsections -- visitors can search all of your site or a subsection". Probably need to have separate directories and not have the categories interspersed in any way -- chack it out, it might do the trick.

[bill]

Atomz has a free version for small to medium sized websites that will allow you to group searches into result areas the way you have asked.

[newnewbie1]

Tedster & Bill,
Thanks for your input. I have used ATOMZ before, and it's great! But I just got off the phone w/ a sales rep, and he told me if I wanted to group my results, I would have to get the paid for version that starts at $15,000!

So I guess that's outta the question...

I also looked at FreeFind, and it looks really good. But all their docs talk about "the advertising". What are they talking about? Will you get banner ads on your search pages?

THX!

[shasan]

beggars can't be choosers. ;) Sounds like you have a pretty demanding client.

You could try freshmeat.net or sourceforge.net and see if there are any free search apps available. Freefind was the only one that's got any kind of reputation (from what I've heard).

It's always tough to find something that works the way your client wants right out of the box. And the functionality is always the hardest part to modify if you're new to programming.

Good luck anyways!

[bill]

I use Atomz on a site that is under 500 pages in size, and I've been able to do restricted group area searches ever since I started using them sometime in the late 90's. I seriously doubt an Atomz sales person is going to steer you toward their free product anyway ;)

[newnewbie1]

HA! Good point Bill. Yes, my client's website is under 500 pages, but she does want to search within sections of the site. I *thought* how you did that was to setup a collection, which ATOMZ only has in their pay version. Is there some other way?

THx!

[bill]

newnewbie1 I must have had some legacy code left in...I hadn't looked at the Atomz site for anything more than reports for years. It looks like collections are now a paid site only option. They were free for years. Sorry.

[mack]

FDSE (fluid dynamics search engine) might be your option.

It's shareware and is installed and run from your own server. It has a function called realms (almost like zones) where you are able to build different databases for different areas and have a drop down list next to the search box that enables you choose what zone (realm) you wish to search within.

I have used fdse on a few of my sites and found it to be well up to the task.

You can find out more about it at xav.com

Hope this is of some help.

Mack.