need some pointers on making a specific kind of internal search...

[lucy_h]

Hello

I hope someone out there can help me. I've tried googling this but it's hard to know exactly what search terms to use. I just need a few pointers in the right direction.

Basically, I'm going to be helping with a site for a music/arts festival. I thought it would be great if we could have a section where the user could fill in a simple questionnaire and then be given a list of suggested events based on what they've filled in. For example, if they answer that they want events for children or events for adults, events involving audience participation or not, musical or storytelling, etc. Obviously this is going to involve some kind of internal search, with the different events being 'tagged' with search terms when they are added to the site. I'm just not sure where to start exactly. I'm guessing it will involve Javascript (which I'm not too familiar with but planning to learn).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Lucy

[mlseim]

You didn't ask this in the PHP section, so I'm just assuming
that you may not know anything about PHP. To do this the
correct way, would involve using PHP to save all of your events
in a database ... either a simple text database or a MySQL
database.

Searches are often done by opening a database and pulling out
entries that meet the search keywords.

If your webhost allows the use of PHP, I could help you get something
started that might make your task much easier. To use PHP, you would
need to also change the extensions of your pages from .html to .php

It would consist of an admin page where the events would be entered
or edited, and a display page where the user could view the events in
any particular order, by any particular type, and also search the events.

I'm guessing right now, you're creating static web pages with the events.
Someone has to edit the page(s) every time an event is added or changed.
With PHP, there are no web page(s) to edit ... only a simple database needs
to be changed, using an online page with an admin password.

Use the "private message" feature (PM User) on the top of my post to send
me a private message ... give me your email address there for more information.

[lucy_h]

Thanks for the reply! :) The PHP approach sounds ideal, although as you correctly assumed I have very little experience with it. I'll send you a PM.

Lucy

[sutton silver]

You didn't ask this in the PHP section, so I'm just assuming
that you may not know anything about PHP. To do this the
correct way, would involve using PHP to save all of your events
in a database ... either a simple text database or a MySQL
database.

Searches are often done by opening a database and pulling out
entries that meet the search keywords.

If your webhost allows the use of PHP, I could help you get something
started that might make your task much easier. To use PHP, you would
need to also change the extensions of your pages from .html to .php

It would consist of an admin page where the events would be entered
or edited, and a display page where the user could view the events in
any particular order, by any particular type, and also search the events.

I'm guessing right now, you're creating static web pages with the events.
Someone has to edit the page(s) every time an event is added or changed.
With PHP, there are no web page(s) to edit ... only a simple database needs
to be changed, using an online page with an admin password.

Use the "private message" feature (PM User) on the top of my post to send
me a private message ... give me your email address there for more information.

PM Me aswell please, I would love some more information on this.

Regards, C-SS