findinsite-js initialisation parameters

Introduction

Initialisation parameters are usually called init parameters in servlet documentation.

Init parameters give initialisation information to findinsite-js, such as the name of the current search database. However, findinsite-js usually stores its configuration information in the work directory. The work directory information overrides the init parameters.

There is only one vital init parameter - work - and this may be set correctly by default. However, see below to check it.

In some situations it can be a hassle changing init parameters. This is why findinsite-js uses its work directory - so configuration changes can be made without changing the init parameters. However, if you want to be ultra safe, you should make sure that the init parameters have valid values - this guards against the work directory being inaccessible for some reason.

For server-specific instructions on changing init parameters, see here:

Apache JServ
Apache Tomcat
BEA WebLogic Server
Borland Enterprise Server
IBM WebSphere
Macromedia JRun
Sun Java System Web Server
Sun Java System Application Server

Work directory

There is only one vital init parameter - work that sets the work directory. All the others are fallback options in case the work directory is not usable.

Before you start testing findinsite-js, it is important to check that the findinsite-js work directory is in a suitable location.

findinsite-js uses a work directory to store all its configuration information and search database files. It is important that this directory is secure from unwanted direct access, while still being available to findinsite-js. It is also a good idea to make sure that this directory is not wiped accidentally, eg if you update the findinsite-js runtime to a newer version. Finally, it is also a good idea to backup the contents of the findinsite-js work directory regularly.

Once the work directory is set up, all configuration changes will be stored so that findinsite-js will remember them even if it (or the Java servlet engine) is stopped and restarted.

The configuration screen General section displays the current work directory. If this is not suitable then you need to change the work init parameter.

If the current work directory is not suitable then you must make a suitable (new) work directory and change the work init parameter. The Test work directory field of the General section lets you prove that your new directory is usable by findinsite-js. (Some directories may not be readable or writeable by findinsite-js.)

Changing init parameters

If you alter the init parameters, you will need to restart findinsite-js. You typically do this by restarting the Java servlet engine or even your server.
In many situations, you will have to ask your webmaster or ISP to change the init parameters and restart the servlet engine.

How you change init parameters is usually servlet engine specific. Be careful to use lower case for all the parameter names.

Most servlet engines provide a control panel interface that lets you change an init parameter. However in almost all cases, there is a fallback manual method of changing servlet parameters. The crucial task is finding a file called web.xml in the findinsite-js deployment directory, usually in the WEB-INF sub-directory. This file is in XML format. It should be fairly obvious where to edit this file to set init parameters, eg to set work:

<init-param><param-name>work</param-name> <param-value>D:\FindData</param-value></init-param>

Then restart the servlet engine.

Init Parameter List

Here is a list of all the init parameters that you can set.
Note that you must match the letter case of the parameter names exactly. Similarly, it is best if the parameter values that refer to paths/URLs match the letter case of the path/URL exactly.

The "Supplied value" is the value for the parameter that is installed when the findinsite-js Web Application is deployed. The supplied values for the index and baseurl parameters set up findinsite-js to search the documentation web pages that are contained in the findinsite-js Web Application.

The "Default" is the value that is used if no init parameter is found.

Parameter
name Description Supplied
value Default

bot The path/URL of the template file containing the HTML to put at the bottom of findinsite-js results, before the footer.
See the Look and feel page. findbot.htt null a standard bottom

cacheresults If "true", findinsite-js caches search results in the session state to make it quicker to access the next sheet of results. true true Results are cached

footer The path/URL of the template file containing the HTML to put at the bottom of all findinsite-js output.
See the Look and feel page. findfoot.htt null a basic footer

getwordcounts

If "true", findinsite-js gets the count of all search words in each page hit, so that the %WORDCOUNT% Results line variable and WordCount session variable are valid.

Word counts are automatically retrieved if reorderresults is set to "wordcount".

false

disabled

heading The path/URL of the template file containing the HTML to put at the top of all findinsite-js output.
See the Look and feel page. findhead.htt null a basic heading

languages A comma separated list of URLs for extra language files. See languages page. null null no extra languages

licenceid The findinsite-js licence id null null Not licensed

line The path/URL of the template file containing the HTML to use for each findinsite-js results line.
See the Look and feel page. findline.htt <DL>
<DT>
<B>%RESULTNO%.
%TITLE_LINK%</B>
%FILENAME%
<DD>
%ABSTRACT%
</DL>
<BR>

password The password that must be used for future findinsite-js configuration requests. null null No password required for search database change requests

reorderresults

Specify one the following:

`off`	Standard findinsite-js sorting
`filename`	Sort results on the page filename
`title`	Sort results on the page title
`abstract`	Sort results on the page abstract
`priority`	Sort results on the page Priority
`wordcount`	Sort results on the count of search words in each page

Optionally then specify one of the following after a space:

`ascending`	Sort ascending [default]
`descending`	Sort descending

null

By default, findinsite-js sorts the results so that pages that are more likely to be of interest are listed first, that is words in the Meta description, Meta keywords, title and headings in that order.

rules The path/URL of the Rules file rulesen.txt null No word stemming or synonyms

target

The target window name

The following target frame names have special meaning:

_self	current frame
_parent	parent frame
_top	top-most frame
_blank	new unnamed top-level window

_self

Shows a page in the same window, ie to replace the search results sheet

top The path/URL of the template file containing the HTML to put at the top of findinsite-js results, after the heading.
See the Look and feel page. findtop.htt null a standard top

work The path of the work directory null null A default sub-directory FindData is created