Search problem Soundminer server

[Rodrigue Amyot]

Hi

I'm having a problem with the search result in Soundminer. I understand the concept of Thesaurus and Boolean search, I think, and I'm stil having weird result.

I did rescan the library and the problem is still there.

The database is on a Soundminer server and I'm using 4.3 Pro and 4.5 Pro client. The problem is on booth version of client.

EX:  I have a sound with description as follow:  Spacey Swoosh Up

If i do a simple find with spacey it works

With whoosh it works (thesaurus on)

BUT if I type up that sound don't come up ???

With up I get 9 result with the word upper in it but no result with the word up

I even went in the custom thesaurus and added up cetagory name and up as term and I still have the same result

It does find it if I do it with search in field of course.

I have the same problem with the word bus!  

I've ask me employee to give me exemple of weir search result and so far it's only on 3 letters words and less !?

Before I rebuilt the library again anybody have an idea of what could be the problem ?

Any way to reset or reload the index ?

Rodrigue Amyot

Supervising Technician- Instructor Audio Post Production TV 

[Soundminer]

This is probably better addressed by sending to us at sup...@soundminer.com.  But below is my answer in the hopes it helps others.

1.  Your database is a server database which makes it fundamentally different than a local database.  Mysql controls a minimum word length in its configuration.  The default is 4 characters so 'up' would not be searched if still set this way.  In general, we usually change that config to 2 characters.  I would check that as rebuilding your database will not accomplish anything in this case.

The config can be changed using Mysql's workbench tool(variables) if you are using a standard binary installation.  If using a MAMP based install, then within mamp>Edit Template>Mysql config will provide the parameters for the min word length modification.  Service would have to be restarted for it to be in effect.

2.  Some clarification between Boolean and Iterative searching as it pertains to general approaches to searching.

The main search area is optimized for searching 'terms' not characters contained in say a filename. If you go to the Database>Modify search indexes field(Database>Change Full Text for HD users) what fields are checked for that specific database?  These are the fields searched for terms when using the main search field and is what we call the Full index. Most advanced databases use this technique to search fast across key fields.  Minimum character limits are imposed:  local databases are hard-coded to 2, but mysql is freely set(default is 4).

It never searches every single field or internal character matches contained within words as this would prove quite slow.
 

If you want to search something that isn't a term, like a filename or combination of characters within, then use cmd-shift-F(advanced search) to exit normal boolean logic or use the search in right pane option and search for 'contains' character iterative searches.

These two routines are VERY different and if understood by the user can be advantageous depending on what they desire. The expectation should NOT be they would return the same thing. 

Boolean search (main search)
When doing a search in the FIND box the engine looks for 'terms' in its full index for your entered criteria(remember a space acts as an AND, comma operates as an OR and a minus sign means NOT to the Boolean parser). A ‘Full index’ is used by all robust databases engines. This type of search routine pre-builds a specialized search field(full index) based on the search indexes the user has selected(see menu MODIFY SEARCH INDEXES). In this way, it can increase speed and efficiency. In Soundminer’s case, the engine applies its search by first going to the Thesaurus to do a lookup and stem of the words if turned on then applies that to the search indexes but does not do a 'Contains' search. It would only bring back records that begin with your search, its synonyms and stems and only within the full index fields. This is a more restricted search but more accurate and faster.

This allows you to do advanced searches like 'wind (gusty, blow) -window' (look for wind sounds that also have either 'gusty' or 'blow, blowing' and then omit anything that has window. So it looks for words that match the modifiers AND, OR, NOT but does not look within words.  so if all you have is a filename like TrafficNewYorkHeavyDaytime.wav and nothing else and type in 'Heavy traffic New York' it won't be found because there are no terms in the metadata fields. So having proper metadata is key.

Without such,  you have filenames and folders and that's where iterative searching comes into play.

Iterative Searching. Searching in the Advanced or Search in Field or right Pane for example produces a query where the terms are searched iteratively in that single specified field or according to the query string created in the Advance Search window. The query looks for that set of characters anywhere in the string - it could be at the beginning, end or in the middle of the word. This will no doubt produce many more returns but the process for finding is much slower as it has to compare each character.

For example, if looking for 'growl' in a set of files that have little or no metadata but in the filename contains 'doggrowlinsmallroom.wav'. then this method looks for this set of characters and has to iterate over each character to find matches.  It is used when you have little metadata to go on or the characters are run together thereby not allow term searching. the drawback is it is much slower but if file have no real metadata as in the example you supplied, then Advanced search (or iterative searching) is the method to use.

In addition, the system also auto-breaks apart filenames if they have Capitalizations

ie.  DogGrowlResidentialCity.wav would be auto loaded in the keywords field as 'Dog Growl Residential City' thereby making it work in the boolean routine.


steve pecile
soundminer




Rodrigue Amyot wrote:

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