Virtuemart Product Search

[zainabubu]

Hello,

I have tested using vm's search plugin + rupostel's modified plugin and neither have done a great job for me. I currently have over 3000 items in store, and growing daily, when searching for an item via search bar, in order to reduce the number of items result searched, i combine the brand's name + part of the item's name. This yields zero results. I need to have this work because I keep getting emails asking me how to search my site because they are unable to find what they want. Let's use apple as an example, when I type 'apple', all the items under apple show up. When I type 'apple ipod', nothing shows up. It seems like the search plugin is only able to search for the items independently and can not do a combo of manufacturer + item name search.

Is there a fix for this? thanks.

I also have cf filter and that does not help much.

[Maxim Pishnyak]

Did you try another 3rd party search solutions?

[zainabubu]

any suggestion would help. I don't know of one that gets the job done.

[Maxim Pishnyak]

1. I have tested using vm's search plugin + rupostel's modified plugin and neither have done a great job for me.

2. I currently have over 3000 items in store, and growing daily, when searching for an item via search bar, in order to reduce the number of items result searched, i combine the brand's name + part of the item's name. This yields zero results.

1. Screen shot of failed searching attempts for both, pls. Universal ajax search is known brand for search task in VM.

2. You should post here a screen shot with failed test for this too. This name+manufacturer thingy looks for me like using filter extension for VM. I used one from breakdesign for example (for such task).

[zainabubu]

I already have break design's cf filter and offlajn's universal search module. Both point fingers at virtuemart for not having a great search plugin. The plugin offlajn made for product search is not great either. break design mentioned creating one to help the process, which would probably not be free. Hopefully it comes out before my 6 months account term runs out.
An average person searching for a specific item in amazon would type "toshiba laptop", to make the search faster, not, "laptop" and then filter through brands. It takes away an extra step for them and reduces search time. The problem is with the way it searches the combination of multiple factors. It searches properly when searching within manufacturer or product name independently. When done together, it fails.
See screenshots below:
http://awesomescreenshot.com/0532093k89
http://awesomescreenshot.com/0532093j60

[TeeJay.net]

Any updates regarding this topic? The problem is still actual...
The search has troubles not only with combining manufacturer's + product's names. When you search for just the product name, let's say "Laptop Toshiba 15", search words like "Toshiba Laptop" give 0 results either.
What a pity, that's quite important function for any e-shop.

[jamo]

Hi there

I had a similar problem the VM search module result pages would not show any results if you were in a category that didnt have that product that you were searching for! 

I ended up adding a new menu item, "search form or search results" - to a menu that was not visible and then taking the menu ID and placing that in the VM search module parameter "Set ItemID" -it worked great after that.

hope that makes sense, if you want PM me

[guidocx842]

Hi there

I had a similar problem the VM search module result pages would not show any results if you were in a category that didnt have that product that you were searching for! 

I ended up adding a new menu item, "search form or search results" - to a menu that was not visible and then taking the menu ID and placing that in the VM search module parameter "Set ItemID" -it worked great after that.

hope that makes sense, if you want PM me

Me too!! I'm coming on Forum to open a new topic but I see that you have the same problem of mine so I decided to try your solution and it works also for me!! Thank you very much for your solution jamo!!!!!!!

[zainabubu]

Thank you Jamo for that tip. I hope vm developers would fix the issue with manufacturer + item name search...I keep getting emails from folks complaining that they can't items on the site. I'm forced to email them links for something that should be done with ease.

[zainabubu]

Is there a way I can manually fix my files to get this done. It is a bit annoying when users keep sending email complaints before they find my search function useless for their needs. I'm having to sending them direct links to items they want.

[adomi]

Hi,

Maybe with using custom fields ? I'm block too with 2 topics. Searching in name of product AND/OR in customfields in the same time. I used a 3rd party for insertion of data in custom fields so not allow to use plugin, only basic customfields. And i remember somes year ago a subject concerning adding som code line in module search. If anyone know smth about this possibilities... I search since severals weeks and already paid a lot for existing components but nothing works correctly and simply.

Other topics... logs search criteria in txt or csv file... Should be very useful to know what search or try to find users... found nothing about developpment or hacking code about this...

[zainabubu]

Yeah, same here. I purchased offlajn's search component and that's been a waste for me. I also have custom filter, which works, but users tend to search in box first before filtering.

[gus.emm]

For me Universal Ajax search module works ok, but i have a different problem. When i search for a product i know it doesnt exist, i get a very simple "not found" page without showing the rest template??

any ideas??
thank you!
gus.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2139172/IMG_20140331_214328.jpg

[zainabubu]

Is there any update on this? The search function needs to be smarter.

[zainabubu]

Okay, so I was informed else where that modifying the vm search plugin sql query to have it also search Manufacturers, has someone done this before and can you please me out?

Thanks!