How to search the forums

[kegobeer]

A few people have complained they never find anything they need when they search our forums.  Here's a small guide on how to get the most from your search.

Click the (http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/Themes/default/images/english/search.gif) button instead of using the (http://pictures.kazebeer.com/linkdir/quick.gif) quick search method.

In the advanced search window:

(http://pictures.kazebeer.com/linkdir/search.gif)

1.  Select "Show results as messages" - All of the messages are displayed instead of links to the posts.  Easy reading.

2.  Choose your search order.  Sometimes it's best to order by "Oldest topics first".  If you're searching for a fairly new topic, select "Most recent topics first".

If you have an error message, search for the entire message.  If you are looking for something, try some key words.  If you don't get any relevant results, try changing your key words a little bit.  Be creative; try to come up with similar words or phrases that are close to what you are looking for.

Most of all, don't give up after a few minutes.  There are a lot of posts here, and it takes time to look around.  How do you think the devs come up with links to posts?  We don't have them on the top of our heads!  We take advantage of the search function.

[OshB5]

Hello all I would like to offer my experiance after installing my CPG and asking a few questions here on the forum. Most of the replies I got said the same "READ" the documentation". Well i must say i did "originally" think that the site was a bit snobby and the people in charge or giving out the help help just could not be bothered with helping out. 
HOWEVER (sorry for shouting) i have since lernt that it and has been better to read and reread (as was told to do) as all the answers to most of the day to day questions are in there somwhere the answers to other questions again day to day can be easily be found by just doing a serch for what you need to find out and again the same applies as the read and reread  Just serch and serch again with same topic but worded differently. You will find what yu need, The welth of information on the forum is emense, I have found this to be the most effective metheod of finding answers to my questions and in the end I have managed to sort out my questions from serching the forum, So then if it goes wrong again I can do it again and again.
Just put yourselves in the shoe's of these guys here constantly asked the same question day in day out, And yes i was one of these and i do send my apolagies . . Keep up the fantastic work
Best regards Andy

[cgc0202]

We have tested this before, about two years ago, I think -- with some of the core team and contributors involved.   Because there are so many files already in the database, sometimes the search, if "narrowed down" would not always provide the key forum topics.  During the search, tested with some Core team members verifying, even the use of exact words (phrases), in "quotation", sometimes did not include the key files.

It is true that many people may not do any search at all. However, when a person starts to provide "suggested applets or plugins or modules" more than likely they might have done some search.

I see the comments sometimes placed by Moderators, that such and such application is already available, or some preferred way of doing the procedure has already been proposed and preferred by CPG.

To minimize doing unwanted search, is there a way that the preferred mode of doing stuff are listed in each pertinent forum section and made a sticky?  I can even help prepare this (including the main posts where the features was introduced), if needed -- when I see notes by Moderators suggesting preferred applications: plugins, modules, etc. Moderators may edit them to include latest version.

Cornelio

[Newfie]

I have a question on searching:

If I wanted to get a list of "topics" that I "did not" make a post in, how can I acheive that......I thought that by entering - Newfie I could acheive this, but it won't work for me.....I'm sure that the smart people in this forum knows how this can be acheived....


Thanks

[Joachim Müller]

If you want a general answer: ask SMF, they built that forum software, not us. We don't provide support for SMF here. If you want a solution that applies for this very site: just search for your search term and ignore that one posting you have made. All search results you get except the one made by you will apply. Your reply certainly is not related to what is being discussed in this thread: this thread explains how to get the best search results when using the coppermine support board. It certainly doesn't deal with your question on search forms that reside on any other page. The only result your posting has is the fact that I'm forced to lock down this thread. It's people like you who force us to lock down all sticky and announcement threads. Very sad story. Locking