Opening Search.php: how?

[gmarnell]

Hello Zoomers,

I've been using the JavaScript version successfully for a while, but now want to replace it with a PHP version. I'm confused by the ZOOM user doco (and by the comments in the search_template.html file).

With the JavaScript version, the embedded script automtically places a search box on the search page (search.html). But when I generate the PHP files and open the search file (search_template.html), I don't get a search box (that is, a text box for the user to enter their search terms).

The ZOOM user doco (and by the comments in the search file) tell me to open search.php from my browser...but it doesn't explain how to do that.

Can anyone enlighten me please.

Thanks

Geoffrey Marnell

[Ray]

It means entering the URL to your "search.php" page in your browser address bar. This presumes you have uploaded the PHP and all required files to your web server, which needs to support PHP scripting.

Opening the PHP file on your local disk (without a web server running) will not work. PHP files are server-side scripts, and they must be hosted on a web server with PHP support for them to execute.

So let's say you have a "search" subfolder on your web server. If you have uploaded your search script and index files to here (using Zoom's built in FTP feature), you would then be able to access the search page via a URL like:
http://www.mywebsite.com/search/search.php

Here are some FAQs which may be of help:
Q. What is PHP, ASP, CGI or JavaScript? How do I determine which one I should use?
Q. Why is there no search form on my search page?

Chapter 3 and 5 of the Users Guide will also provide further explanation of what server-side scripting requires.