Writing a search script

[TheShortStack]

I've been having a look through various template sites and I've noticed that a few of the free templates, have a search box included in to the design.

Now I very much doubt that that search box comes with any sort of functionality, so I wanted to ask how easy it is to write a script to search through the contents of your website?

Is there already some kind of application that I could link the seach box too in order to carry that out, or is it something I'd need to create myself?

Thanks alot,

[ThePokerBank]

I've got one, but the free version only indexes 50 pages, so you have to pay more for more results. However, I imagine you can probably find a much better solution at www.hotscripts.com and search for 'site search' scripts. If you're on wordpress, I'm sure there's going to be a free plugin.

In general though, I don't really find too many people using these search features at all, so I wouldn't fret about them being a neccesity. Although they do look quite flashy and make your site look good I spose.

[stonecoldbluff]

Google can provide you one for free.

http://www.google.com/sitesearch/

Its really easy to customise and implement. I have one on my own site and it works a treat. A basic working knowledge of JavaScript is required if you want to do anything fancy with it.

The downside is that under the natural results will be paid adverts from Google AdWords, however the upside to this is that Google allows you to affiliate yourself vis AdSense with these adverts so that you can gain some revenue if someone clicks a Google ad link.

I went for this solution simply because I found it too difficult to write my own search script.

[crazy44]

It's fairly easy but it depends what exactly you want to do, if you want to search your whole site based on a keyword it's a little hard, but if you have values in a database like news updates and such then its much easier.

[ih82lose]

Google can provide you one for free.

http://www.google.com/sitesearch/

Its really easy to customise and implement. I have one on my own site and it works a treat. A basic working knowledge of JavaScript is required if you want to do anything fancy with it.

The downside is that under the natural results will be paid adverts from Google AdWords, however the upside to this is that Google allows you to affiliate yourself vis AdSense with these adverts so that you can gain some revenue if someone clicks a Google ad link.

I went for this solution simply because I found it too difficult to write my own search script.

I dont let my adsense account anywhere near my poker sites.