FindinSite-MS 1.66

FindinSite-MS 1.66 offers an effective tool which functions as a search engine for a MS hosted web site - easily configurable to look like part of your web site, index when you want and highlight result pages

FindinSite-MS is an ASP.NET application that runs in IIS on a Windows server, including shared Microsoft-based hosts - .NET framework 2.0 or later. A Search API XML web service is available for complete programmer control.

Powerful search facilities are available, including booleans and wildcards, word stemming and synonyms, subsets and meta-data field searches.

The FindinSite-MS user interface adapts to the users preferred locale - great international support: 15 Western, Arabic and Asian languages are currently supported.

FindinSite-MS searches many file types, including HTML, PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PUB, TXT, JPEG and TIFF files.

FindinSite-MS Control Panel makes it easy to set up regular indexing runs to spider through all the files on your site. The generated output is configured using template files - optionally incorporating output generated dynamically from ASPX pages. Search subsets can be set up to search many sites.

The Search API is provided as an XML web service. As a programmer, this can be used to do searches and then process the results as you wish.

Installation is by creating a new directory on your site, marked as an application. FindinSite-MS needs file write permission to store its configuration information.

Getting start guide:  You can test findinsite-ms on your own computer if you are running Windows XP Pro with IIS 5 and the .NET framework installed (or Windows Vista with "Internet Information Services" including ASP.NET installed). You want access to an example online installation.  WARNING: if running findinsite-ms on your own computer, then indexing seems to occasionally hang up if you are also running Visual Studio.NET - the hangs only seem to occur if the web site redirects page URLs.

1. Try findinsite-ms online
   • Try out an online search using findinsite-ms.  This search page should automatically use your preferred language, provided that it is one of the currently supported languages.  Try out various searches to confirm that findinsite-ms meets your requirements. Check out the highlighting of search words in hit web pages.
   • Findinsite-ms also has a Search API - an XML web service that lets a programmer talk to the search engine direct. The search API description online has links to various examples to try out.
   • The best way to try out findinsite-ms is to download the development kit and run it on a test system, eg on your computer. However if you want access to an example installation then email sales/support.
2. Get findinsite-ms
   • To test findinsite-ms running on your server, download the findinsite-ms development kit.
   •  We hope to provide a Microsoft Installer MSI file shortly - this will make installation on a local server easier.
3. Install findinsite-ms
   • The Installation instructions tell you how to install findinsite-ms locally on your own computer, or on a shared server. It is usual to install to a new directory in the web site root called findinsite.
   • You may need to set the file permissions for the 'work' directory used by findinsite-ms to store information. Also - check that the 'work' directory is in a suitable location.
   • Note that you may also want to change the IIS permissions so that the work directory cannot be read by direct browser requests - see here for details. If this is not possible, please store your password and license id in the Web.Config file - as described here.
4. Check findinsite-ms runs OK

Major Features:

1. Findinsite-ms is a search engine for a web site or Intranet using a Microsoft server
2. Findinsite-ms integrates fully with your site
3. Findinsite-ms doesn't show ads from your competitors
4. Findinsite-ms highlights words in web pages
5. Findinsite-ms is available as a package for your site, or as a hosted search
6. Search engine: A full-text search engine for your site:
   • Enter text into a search form
   • findinsite-ms displays a results list
   • Click to show a result, with word highlighting in web pages
7. Servers: ASP.NET 2 application
   • For web sites and Intranets using Microsoft servers
   • Works on shared hosts
8. Highlighting: Shows highlighted excerpts from files in the results list
   • Highlights found search words in displayed web pages
   • Jumps straight to first occurrence on web page
9. Indexing: Schedule regular indexing runs
   • Email of indexing results
   • Many file types: HTML, PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PUB, TXT, JPEG/TIFF
10. Languages: findinsite-ms output generated in user's preferred language
    • Currently, fifteen Western and Asian languages are supported
11. Search features: Logical searches AND OR NOT ( )
    • Full wild card support
    • Word stemming and synonyms
    • Searches multiple web sites - choose which to search
    • Meta-data field searches
12. Easily configured: Browser-based control panel
    • Full control of indexing features
    • General, Searching, Look and Feel, Indexing, About and Log sections
13. Output format: HTML template files for the results list elements
    • Heading, Top, Line, Bottom, Footer and Error Display templates
    • Adjustable number of hits per results page
    • ASPX included files can use findinsite-ms form variables
14. Search API: Programmer interface - XML web service
    • Customise, filter or rearrange the results list
15. Speed: Search database held in memory
    • Thread safe searches
16. Site size: Shared hosts: 3,000-10,000 files typical maximum
    • Dedicated hosts: 40,000-60,000 files typical maximum
17. Coming Soon: Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF®) search

Enhancements: Indexing: Cope with Content-Location HTTP header that refers to the current URL

Requirements: ASP.NET server