Search forms are the user interfaces to the search engine, so you can
have several different forms, for your various needs.
- Search Field: this is very small form with a text field and
Search button: it can go on your front page or even in the navigation
bar on every page.
- Simple Search: a search form with an additional option or
two, which may be on a search page with instructions and tips. Note
that SiteMiner has a JavaScript search form, rather than a normal
HTML form.
- Advanced Search: lets the searcher have more control over
the search, with options for date ranges or special zones. Only Atomz
and Webinator include advanced search forms, though both are a bit
obscure.
Each of the site search services provides an HTML or JavaScript search
form for you to copy and paste to a page on your site. All you have
to do is put the form into a page (you don't even have to post the page
on your site at first). When you, or a searcher, types text into the
field and clicks on the Search button, the browser recognizes the ACTION
attribute of the FORM tag connects to the search server, and sends the
form items, including the hidden site ID, so the server can tell which
site you mean to search.
When the remote search server gets the form command, it looks in the
index, matches the search words, and organizes the results. The URL
of the results page is that of the search service, not of your server,
because that's where the results page is coming from, but the URLs for
the found pages themselves include your server name.
Note: SiteMiner only has a JavaScript search box: site visitors without
JavaScript must follow a link to their site for searching. This limits
your audience and makes it hard for people with old browsers, PDAs and
other new client hardware, and those with impaired vision using speaking
browsers.
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