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Searching
Search Types
File name
Instrument Text & Internal Comment Texts
It is important that you understand the following:
These searches utilize what is known in the database world as a FULLTEXT index search. Without this form of indexing, searching the huge mass of data would be extremely slow and puts far too much load on the server. Drawbacks of FULLTEXT searches is that there are limits with what is indexed. For example, words less than 3 characters long are not indexed, therefore searching for a phrase such as "This is my" will return 0 results. Some 3 common letter words are not indexed either at the moment.
The FULLTEXT search system supports some BOOLEAN type characters to help you filter your results. The ones which will work (remember, on words of more than 3 characters) are:
Examples:
You can therefore do this: +purple -motion
To match full phrases, enclose your search in quotation marks ("like this").
Try it, then try the following:
Notice the difference? There should have been some different results shown, A module with the title "Battle for Ancardia" or something similar should have shown up, to demonstrate how you can remove that with a wild card (you could just use -battle, but we want to be fancy)...
Now, you must note that I'm using "purple motion" just as an example, and you should note that we are not looking at returning modules that belong to "purple motion" the artist here, it's results containing mentions of "purple motion" in the instrument texts, comment texts and module titles that we are after.
Song Title
Our Roster
Guessed Artists
Searching
In order to fully utilize the Mod Archive search tool, it is best that you understand exactly how it works so that you can use it to it's full potential. Below are a list of descriptions, each describing how each different search function works - and what input it expects from you.
- All searches are limited to a maximum of 50 characters (for the moment).
- Only English alphanumerics and numbers are accepted.
- Searches will return as many matches as possible, paginated.
Search Types
File name
- Searches for only the file name of the modules.
- You can use the * wild card to do searches like *the*red*, this will match modules like "musix-the-red-one.mod".
- If you do not use a wild card it will assume you wanted to use one anyway but only at the end of the search query. For example, if you search for "xmas" the search engine will match "xmas.mod, xmas.s3m, xmasprt.mod" and so on...
Instrument Text & Internal Comment Texts
It is important that you understand the following:
These searches utilize what is known in the database world as a FULLTEXT index search. Without this form of indexing, searching the huge mass of data would be extremely slow and puts far too much load on the server. Drawbacks of FULLTEXT searches is that there are limits with what is indexed. For example, words less than 3 characters long are not indexed, therefore searching for a phrase such as "This is my" will return 0 results. Some 3 common letter words are not indexed either at the moment.
The FULLTEXT search system supports some BOOLEAN type characters to help you filter your results. The ones which will work (remember, on words of more than 3 characters) are:
+, -, "quotation marks", *
Examples:
+purple = Search result MUST include this word
-motion = Search result MUST NOT include this word
You can therefore do this: +purple -motion
To match full phrases, enclose your search in quotation marks ("like this").
"purple motion" will match the phrase entirely.
Try it, then try the following:
"purple motion" -years
Notice the difference? There should have been some different results shown, A module with the title "Battle for Ancardia" or something similar should have shown up, to demonstrate how you can remove that with a wild card (you could just use -battle, but we want to be fancy)...
"purple motion" -batt*
Now, you must note that I'm using "purple motion" just as an example, and you should note that we are not looking at returning modules that belong to "purple motion" the artist here, it's results containing mentions of "purple motion" in the instrument texts, comment texts and module titles that we are after.
Song Title
- Searches only the song titles of the songs.
- It works along the same principle as the File name search, so read that section to understand how to use wild cards to get better matches in your searches.
Our Roster
- Searches Mod Archive for profiles of artists that are "local" to The Mod Archive. These profiles were set up by the artists themselves. There is a massive massive chance that your search for even a famous artists may not return results simply because they themselves have never opened an account here, in which case you should try the Guessed Artist search (see next section).
- Wild cards are supported with this search meaning you can search for *pm*, it will return more results than just pm on it's own.
- If you omit the wild card, it will be assumed you want to use one anyway, but only on the end of your search query.
Guessed Artists
- Searches a list of artist's aliases we have that are linked to modules. This is very comprehensive list so you will probably find the artist you are searching for using this.
- It will only show a list of files, just as if you were browsing the archive.