Auto-completion
Auto-completion provides the user with real-time suggestions as query terms are typed into the search box.
Several types of auto-completion are supported:
- Simple auto-completion
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is quick and easy to set up and returns suggestions that are words and phrases found within the content.
- Structured auto-completion
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this provides advanced auto-completion based on structured CSV data. The suggestions can be grouped by type and provide rich content (such as thumbnail images and other data) in the suggestion. Clicking on a suggestion can run a query, take the user directly to a resource or run some JavaScript.
- Recent searches
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Recent searches are suggested from the current user’s search history. This is available when search sessions are enabled on a search.
Auto-completion, when displayed to the end user can consist of several independent auto-completion data sets from the forms of auto-completion listed above.
By default, a single data set of simple auto-completion is generated for each results page.
Disabling auto-completionx
Auto-completion is enabled by default using the auto-completion collection.cfg setting.
Configuring auto-completion
Configuring auto-completion data sets Before any auto-completion can be added one or more auto-completion datasets must be generated.
This is achieved by creating one or more results pages that generate an auto-completion index for use by any of the results pages within the same search package. Auto-completion is generated in one of the following ways:
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As simple auto-completion that provides a set of keywords suggestions based on words within documents that belong to the results page.
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As structured auto-completion, generated from an auto-completion.csv file uploaded to the results page.
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As structured auto-completion, generated using the auto-completion plugin.
Configuring the auto-completion front-end Once auto-completion datasets are generated, the JavaScript widget must be configured in order to interact with and display the auto-completion.
Auto-completion web service
Auto-completion in Funnelback is delivered via a web service. The web service is accessed using a REST-style request and returns a JSON packet containing the auto-completion suggestions.
Upgrading to the Concierge widget
Existing templates (either based on the old jQuery UI widget, or the prototype/GitHub Concierge widget) can be upgraded to use the Concierge widget with minimal changes to existing templates.
Upgrading generated auto-completion to use the auto-completion plugin
v15 and earlier structured auto-completion was normally generated from the Funnelback search index using custom workflow commands. In v16 the generation process needs to be upgraded to use the auto-completion plugin.