Keyword weighted, fuzzy search
- Tim Peterson
TitleLeaf employs a weighted, fuzzy search algorithm when the “keyword” value is submitted.
A fuzzy search means it is more lenient finding not just the word specified but also variations of that word. For example, searching for “cow” will return matches on not just “cow” but also the pluralization “cows”. This algorithm accommodates misspellings as well. So, a misspelled search term such as “cowz” will return matches for “cow” and “cows”.
A weighted search means multiple, prioritized fields are checked for matches. A match in the most important field weighs/counts more than a match in the least important field. For example, in TitleLeaf, a keyword search checks both the product name field and the product description field. If a user submits the “keyword” value “cow” and “product A” has a match in the name field and “product B” has a match in the description field, “product A” will appear before “product B” in the search results list.
Below is a complete list of the fields that are checked when submitting a “keyword” value:
Field | Default Weight |
|---|---|
product name | 2 |
product description | 1 |
product table of contents | 1.3 |
product keywords | 1 |
associated series name | 1 |
associated contributor name | 1 |
The default weight can be overridden on request.