Dynamically created index for SQL database

[misi01]

Hi,

I need to index content from 2 columns in a SQL database which does not display direct links to the user and contains too many constantly added/updated records for me to manage a "dummy" links page.

I see an article which might resolve the problem but do not understand the process you are suggesting:

http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support/faq_howto.html#sql

Please explain how to connect Zoon directly to the SQL table and specify the columns which should be indexing where each record has a specific ID number which can be translated into a link.

Thanks

[David]

In most cases, all you would need is to use Zoom's Spider mode to index your database-driven website. This is because the spider mode scans dymanic web pages as if it was a normal user browsing your site. Provided all your database content is accessible via web pages (ie. there is a URL to each record in your database), the spider mode indexing would work, regardless of the database backend you are using (MySQL, Postgres, MS Access, Oracle, etc.).

However, if there are portions of your database which can not be accessed via your web pages and you want this data indexed, then you need to make this data them accessible to a browser via a URL before Zoom can index this data. Normally this would involve the creation of a script to connect to you database and display the content in HTML. Every database has a different structure and content and so a custom script is often required.

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David

[misi01]

I bought the standard edition a while ago and was planning to upgrade to the professional if I can get this to work - I understand what you are suggesting but do not wish to have the overhead of re-indexing everytime we change update or add to the database.

Do you have a modified search.asp script which can directly access a SQL database rather than your dat files. Obviously this would be slower but would provide the quality search routine you have written with dynaqmic search results.

Two parameters and a filter string (strfilter replaces calls to the Zoom index dat file) which compile the data from SQL prior to being passed through the search routine might work. Something along the lines of:

Dim field, table, strfilter
Field = fieldname
Table = select * from tablename
strFilter = SQL statement to compile and modify to Zoom format

Thanks

[David]

Superficially want you want might sound easy. But the reality is that the search scripts are 1000's of lines of code developed over several years. And adding a new generic back-end data source and combining the results from multiple sources would be weeks of work.

On the other hand the solution we suggested above would probably be less than a days work for msot web site.

Thinking that "two parameters and a filter string" will do the job is the type of solution that only works in Hollywood movies.

But we supply the commented source code for our PHP & ASP script so you are welcome to have a go at making it work.

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David