Using findinsite-js subsets

Introduction

findinsite-js can search several search databases - the list is specified in the Searching section of the online configuration screen. A default search form searches all the selected available search databases.

Alternatively, you can set up a search form so that the user can choose which search databases to search - this is called a subset search.

Example search database list

The examples on this page assume that you have the following three search databases available:

Screenshot of available search database list

Default search

If you look carefully at the search database list above, you will see that the "included" check box for PHD is not checked. This means that a default search will not include this search database.

This is typical HTML code for a default search, giving the user a single search box and a Search button:

<FORM METHOD=get ACTION="/findinsitejs/search">
  Search for: <INPUT NAME="Text" TYPE="text" SIZE=20 MAXLENGTH=80>
  <INPUT NAME=cs TYPE=hidden VALUE="UTF-8">
  <INPUT TYPE="SUBMIT" VALUE="Search">
</FORM>

This form looks like this:

Subset search

If you want to let your users choose which search databases to search, you can set up a Subset search. You should provide check boxes for each available search database.

A Subset search must incude a PickSubsets form parameter, and form parameters named Subset1, Subset2, etc., one for each available search database. In this example:

Subset1 corresponds with fisjsdb

Subset2 corresponds with PHD

Subset3 corresponds with index1
Specify CHECKED=CHECKED if you want the search database included in the search by default.

<FORM METHOD=get ACTION="/findinsitejs/search">
  <INPUT NAME=PickSubsets VALUE=true TYPE=hidden>
  <INPUT NAME=Subset1 TYPE=checkbox VALUE="on" CHECKED=CHECKED>FindinSite-JS: Site Search engine<BR>
  <INPUT NAME=Subset2 TYPE=checkbox VALUE="on" CHECKED=CHECKED>phdcc: e-media tools and e-publishing<BR>
  <INPUT NAME=Subset3 TYPE=checkbox VALUE="on" CHECKED=CHECKED>Apache Tomcat<BR>
  Search for: <INPUT NAME=Text TYPE=text SIZE=30 MAXLENGTH=80>
  <INPUT NAME=cs TYPE=hidden VALUE="UTF-8">
  <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT VALUE="Search">
</FORM>

This form looks like this:

As can be seen from this example, you set the initial state of each "Included" check box to any value.