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Using
The Index Server
Microsoft Windows NT & 2000 operating systems include a powerful
service known as the 'Index Server'. The index server is a low-priority
task that operates in the background and indexes the contents of the hard
disks for faster retrieval.
A less well known fact is that the Index Server power can be also leveraged by application developers in
order to provide the web site with a local search engine (we like to call
it the 'Local Google').
Pre-Requisites:
1. This document assumes the integrator is familiar with Windows
NT/2000 Index Server catalog set-up.
2. The 'File Generation' mode must be enabled (see
Admin
Center) and
product details pages must be generated in order to be searchable. The
contents of dynamically generated pages cannot be found by the local search
engine (or internet search engines) since they have no physical existence.
ezStore123 integrates with the Index Server:
ezStore123 further integrates the Index Server capabilities by
interfacing directly with the search output. This allows your customers to
search the web pages for any content. When references to product details
pages are returned, ezStore123 automatically detects the pages and inserts
the corresponding product price and 'Buy' button. This provides a powerful
selling tool as the entire contents of a product page are made searchable,
not only the product name.
Notes about page generation:
Generating the 'product details' pages will also allow internet
'spiders', 'crawlers' and other robots to index their contents and make
them available to be searched and found by internet users.
We strongly recommend that you purchase the 'File Generation' option if it
does not come standard with your ezStore123 package. In the long run, this
may save you a lot of money in engine placement costs.
Implementing your local Search Engine:
Step 1:
Create an Index Server catalog for your web site. Please remember not to
place the catalog itself in the 'indexable' directory structure, otherwise
the catalog will index itself and the Index Server will enter an infinite
update loop, consuming system resources uselessly.
Note: ezStore123 supports multiple catalogs. The sample script provided
contain an example for handling multiple catalogs.
Step 2:
Set-up the search script by editing the provided server-side include file:
_siteindex.asp. The file is located in the /ezstore123 folder. Make
sure that you specify the appropriate catalog name(s) in the search
script.
You can use _siteindex.asp 'as is' or extract its components
and insert them in any other web page. Essentially, the page is a form
gathering user input and calling DTSiteSearch.asp, which processes
the search results and provides the link to product pages as applicable.
DTSiteSearch.asp follows the same rules as the other shopping cart
pages and will use the same display configuration files (CUHeader.inc
and CUFooter.inc, thus providing
you with a search engine with a 'look & feel' matching your web site.
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