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Implementing a Search Engine for a Message Board Using PHP and MySQL

Dec 15, 2011

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A Better Search Solution

Using a FULLTEXT search is a simple solution, but viable under the right conditions. In this particular example, the problem with the FULLTEXT search is that it doesn’t actually search all of the site’s content. Namely, each post’s subject is not being searched, which should actually be a heavily weighed value. Second, the poster’s name is not searched either, which may or may not be a problem depending upon your needs.

To rectify this problem, a true search engine has to be implemented. There are two ways of making that happen. The first is to use an existing project, such as Sphider or Sphinx. The second is to write your own. In the past, I’ve done both, and each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. For the purpose of this article, I’ll explain how to roll your own search engine.

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