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Search Engine Walkthrough

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:54 am

Table of Contents

1. Location of search engine
   
2. Search engine features
   
3. Using the general search engine
   
4. Using the advanced search engine
   
5. Advanced search options
   
6. Hints and tips

To browse through the main contents you can use CTRL + F and enter in your desired topic to zoom to that content.

Location of search engine
It's found near the top of your monitor screen, as I show mine below:

When accessing it you will be brought to a screen that looks like

Some browsers may not be able to display this, so you can open the search screen in a separate tab or window:

Search engine features
In general search engines (including the Google/Yahoo one that you use) operate using words that are called Boolean Connectors to limit or broaden the scope of your search. Examples of Boolean Connectors are AND, OR, NOT, AND NOT. It's a subject by itself so refer here if you want to know more.

The default connector of the search engine is AND. This means it searches all the terms you entered and will return only matches that contains all your terms.

The additional features in the search engine are:

1. Show Posts - The search engine finds your required matches in the form of a full post. You see everything that the post author wrote. It is not recommended especially when some posts take up a lot of space and really makes searching a dreary task.
   
2. Show Threads - Returns matches in the form of posted topics. Makes searching easier, but may require you to look into every topic to find your desired results.
   
3. Find New Posts - This finds all the latests posts made in the forum. It is roughly the equivalent of the latest posts section in the Home page.
   
4. Find Unanswered Posts - Finds topics that do not have any replies to it.
   
5. Advanced Search - Brings up the Advanced Search function, which will be discussed later.

Using the general search engine
To use it, all we do is enter the keywords we want and voila! The results are displayed right in front of you. Simple as that.

Thus, for example, if I wanted to find a topic that discusses how to put observer wards, what I will be finding is most probably a guide. Therefore I enter the term "observer wards guide"

The search returns

Notice how many matches it found - only 6. If in the course of using the search engine you find yourself getting very narrowed down search results, it is an indication of your proficiency in using it!

However, if you entered terms into the typebox as though you were asking a question, for example "how to put observer wards"

You get

That's right! 83 results! How are you going to find what you want?

The rule of using the general search engine is only enter important keywords that are relevant to your desired result.

Advanced search options
One of the features of the search engine is the Advanced Search function. After you have opened it, you will see the following features:

Search Query:
The default connector in the Advanced search engine, unlike the general one, is OR - it searches all posts that contain any terms you entered. Therefore it is important you use the connector AND, NOT if you want to narrow your search. The OR may not be necessary since it is the default.

The following example will show why you need the connectors:

Searching without connectors

996 matches - I'm going to sleep!

Putting the necessary connectors...

Yeah, that's the way!

The Search Query also contains additional features:

1. Search for any terms or use query as entered - the default option
   
2. Search for all terms - it switches the default connector into AND - like the general search engine
   
3. Search only among posts with blue cards - blue cards are reported posts so I guess this won't be used much.
   
4. Search for Author - returns matches based on the name of the post(s) writer. You can use * if you do not know his full name or where the upper case letters are, as I show below

Search Options:
The Advanced Search Options offers more control over your desired results:

1. Forum - limits your searches to a particular section of DS.
   
2. Search previous - limits your searches to posts made before a certain period of time.
   
3. Category - like the Forum option, but wider
   
4. Sort by - sorts out returned matches according to the category of your choice.
   
5. Display results as - Posts, Topics, your choice
   
6. Return first - Displays the desired number of characters on every post the search engine returns to you.

The Advanced Search options are rarely needed (if you can play with the connectors very well), but here's an example when I needed to find out links to Pudge videos by ChaosAngel44 (which was buried somewhere as it was posted several months ago):

I searched pudge AND video for author chaosangel44* (I forgot the upper cases
), chose the options Sort by Author (Ascending) , Display results as Posts , Return first 200 characters of posts .

Click the picture to view if you cannot see them properly.

Hints and tips

1. Enter only keywords . Don't burden the search engine with unnecessary words that are not relevant to the results. If you were looking for topics on " How to defeat Razor " enter terms like " razor counter " or " lightning revenant counter ". If you enter "How to defeat Razor" you will most probably look like this ->
   
2. Trial & error is a usual thing . Don't fret when you don't get it the first time. I assure you, it took some time for me to understand and use it properly.
   
3. Look before asking . Many topics are commonplace and can be found all over the DoTA forums - orb effect stacking, item stacking, evasion stacking, etc. It is in your best interest to look around. Flip through some forum contents, play with the search tool and see what toys it gives you as many people have answered on the question and you will find consistent answers. If you are lucky, you may even find an authoritative writing on the subject. This piece of advice also goes well in other forums of different subjects, mark my words.
   
4. Ask if you really cannot find anything . Yes, please do. Yukino Silvermaine will not devour you for that. I personally ask silly questions, sometimes. If you looked around you'll see I asked some "newbie" questions before when I first started here.

Ending remarks
Thanks to Yukino Silvermaine (remember the questions I asked you? ), Photobucket, Mozilla Firefox, Hoversnap, www.dotastrategy.com and You! for taking the time to read this. You can vote and comment for feedback.
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Last edited by caspian on Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:38 pm; edited 2 times in total

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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:38 am

At last, this is released .Well done for this great job, Caspian! Hope everyone read this and apply in the act of enjoying the forum. No more double, triple, quadruple same topic ! (like discussion about 6.49c recently :s )
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:53 am

CALLING ALL MODS

instead of telling noobs to use the search engine just spam this link at them!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:16 pm

This good, although many of members (me sometimes) are too lazy to use the search tool.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:48 pm

caspian is getting lay zieee with thread closing. btw i think this must be stickied
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:09 pm

Stickied, no. Made as an announcement.

Thank so much for this Caspian. This really helps, a lot.

I acknowledge this power.
*orz*
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:23 pm

Should this be applied to all subforums?
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:29 am

haha.. at last..... i thought you forgot about this one caspian...
nice searchtool guide....
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:40 pm

thank you for this help
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"Whenver you feel alone, ill come right next to you and start singing [Ill be Here]"......

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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:39 pm

Ohh excellent. Nicely done. I agree with War, spam the link to this page at people who clearly don't know what they're doing - in addition to posting the search forum link itself of course.

Hmm this would have helped me if I had actually needed it, so I will say it did. Also made me feel better at the thought of fools getting the obvious pointed out to them lol.
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The Search Forum Tool is your friend...

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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:36 pm

clicks the yes it helped me button even though i have only ever started topics in dream heroes (and thus have not posted a topic that it the same as someone else's)

very very useful, if you need it
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Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:28 pm

I like-a you.
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