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The
visual|catalogues
Search Engine
For
a detailed technical description of the visual|catalogues
search engine and an explanation of
issues relating to installation and use, click here.
The type of searches described below can be carried out across one,
or a group of several catalogues.
How
Searches work
This
is a new kind of search engine that retrieves records either by
users entering keywords
or natural language expressions.
As an example imagine a catalogue of photographs of architectural
details has been created, which includes several types of classical
columns with keywords added for all the entries.
Using a Keyword
search a user enters a "noun" keyword or
phrase, such
as "column". They are prompted to select from
"adjective" keywords relating to this, such as
"Doric", "Corinthian", "Ionic,
"Composite", "Tuscan" (if such columns have been
keyworded). They can choose one, several or "every" keyword
and continue. If a "context" keyword has been added to the
images of columns in the catalogue, a user would be then prompted to
choose from a context keyword list, such as "Edinburgh"
"Scotland". Only images of columns that fit all the
keywords will be displayed.
Alternatively a
user can type in a detailed natural
language expression, such
as:-
"fluted
corinthian columns in Edinburgh by Robert Adam between 1765 - 1792"
or, for a product catalogue
"modern
kitchen units with oak tops and green melamine doors <450 wide and <£89"
Searching
visual|catalogues - in detail
To carry out a
search and retrieve only items that you are interested in, the search
engine needs at least two bits of information, a noun describing the
item you are looking for (e.g "column"), and a
"context" which could represent a location (e.g.
"Edinburgh") or other types of context such as the author
or designers name, or the media such as photographs or movies, or
sound track.
Optional
information to further filter a search can also be used, such as
style (e.g. "Corinthian" "fluted"), and date
(e.g. 1765 - 1792), price, size and material finish.
If a search
expression is recognised but is too vague, the search engine
will offer other words which will complete it.
So;
from the Java Applet search interface:-
Typing in
the name of the item "column" and clicking the 
button will cause the Style
List
to appear.
Clicking on a word
will add that word to the search expression. Several style keywords
can be added, and "every" selects all the style keywords in
the list. Clicking the
button at the bottom of the panel will cause the Area
List
panel to appear.
This displays an
alphabetical list of all areas in this catalogue that include an item
"column". Clicking on the relevant word will add that word
to the search expression. If several words from the area panel are
added, the word "and"
should be included between them. "All" selects all the
area keywords in the list.
Dates
A date for the
required item can also be added to a search, e.g. "1745".
A date filter can also be set to between dates, e.g. between
1745 and 1798.
Dates can also include day and month e.g. "05/09/1745"
or
"between 05/06/1768 and 04/08/1778". You
can also search by century, e.g. "18C".
If
the date format is typed in incorrectly the program will prompt and
provide examples.
Size
If size keywords
have been added against items, in the form of x,y,z, bounding box or
other dimensions in millimeters, the search engine can filter against
these using the operands "=" "<",
">", and will find and display only relevant items, For
example "kitchen units <450 wide" will find and
display only kitchen units that fit this description in one or
several catalogues.
Price
If prices
have been added against items (or the categories that hold items),
the search engine can filter against these. For example "kitchen
units <450 wide and <£89" will find and
display only kitchen units that fit this description in one or
several catalogues.
Material Finish
If material finish
keywords have been added against items then the search engine can
filter against these. For example "oak kitchen units <450 wide
and <£89" will find and display only kitchen
units that fit this description in one or several catalogues.
Component Finish
If components of
catalogued items have been keyworded, the search engine can filter
against these. For example "kitchen units with oak tops and
green melamine doors
with chrome handles
<450 wide and <£89" will find and display
only kitchen units that fit this description in one or several catalogues.
Having composed a
search, the user clicks the
button to carry out the search.
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