Saving Bytes Every Page - Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Enhance Search

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278
OK, so I was talking to Asgard yesterday and he commented about how the search redundancy in SMF always annoyed him, hence the haiku-esque thought yesterday.

His complaint is that we have a search form every page, and we have a search button, why do we need both? Either drop the quick search, or drop the menu item, and be done with it.

And I thought about this, and I thought some more. Then I had some tea and all other arguments are invalid :D

OK, here's what I want to do.
1. Drop the search menu entirely, there's no need for it including all its fun markup.

2. Add a link to the full search page from just under the search form. This isn't duplication. This means when you want to do things the quick search can't do, you can still get to it.

3. Drop the distinction between simple and advanced searching and just have it push to the 'advanced' page and be done with it.

The result is simpler, cleaner functionality without multiple places on the page being duplicated.
When we unite against a common enemy that attacks our ethos, it nurtures group solidarity. Trolls are sensational, yes, but we keep everyone honest. | Game Memorial

Asgard

  • So Many Searches, Why Have So Many Searches, One Search Is Enough
  • Posts: 56

If I'm on the right page and your talking removing the drop down fro the menu, I'm all for that and just having a search field would be much cleaner and less cramming of the menu items. How about mouse over drop down from the search button (quick or advanced) or would be an even bigger mess?

I thinking your, thinking a drop down select off to the side?

or how about a search widget type thing or plug-in, then you could apply setting for the Admins>>for use on side panel?

Don't mind me just talking out !

regards,
maxx

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278
Quote
If I'm on the right page and you talking removing the dropdown fro the menu, I'm all for that and just having a search field would be much cleaner and less cramming of the menu items. How a bout mouse over drop down from the search button (quick or advanced) or would be an even bigger mess?
I'm talking about removing the ENTIRE MENU COMPLETELY.

We already HAVE a search field, every page. Let's use it as such.


Nao

  • Dadman with a boy
  • Posts: 16,079
You have my approval as well.

I'm thinking that, for UI's sake, we could hide the 'advanced' link by default, and have it show up by hovering the search box, similar to a mini-menu or whatever...

Overall, this would take more space in the HTML (this hover box + a select box for topic/board/forum scope), but it's worth it.
If you've followed my recent work on shortening code in all HTML pages... I'm not doing this 'because all pages should be short', I'm doing this so that we can happily add more features at no cost. :)

And, good riddance with the simple search page..!

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278

Nao

  • Dadman with a boy
  • Posts: 16,079
Leave the hover box up to me, if you're not sure, I'll come up with something!

Hmm, I just checked out the website for the forum software we were talking about tonight... And I think that's where I came up with the hover box in my head, unconsciously. I wasn't thinking of something so elaborate (because it adds many bytes), but well, it couldn't hurt too much to have something like that... At worst (best?), we could even load something similar *through Ajax*... :) If we make it a click-triggered menu, like they do, Ajax is a given. $('input[type=search]').next().load(url_for_advanced_search_options)... And voilà ;)
Posted: February 28th, 2013, 11:21 PM

Oh, I'm totally doing that, and with Ajax...
Their HTML (ungzipped) for the search pop-up is 1901 bytes long. Per page. Just for the sake of offering the same amount of features with just a few dozen bytes per page, I'll implement that with pleasure ;)

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278

Nao

  • Dadman with a boy
  • Posts: 16,079

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278

spoogs

  • Posts: 417
Stick a fork in it SMF

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278

Re: Saving Bytes Every Page - Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Enhance Search
« Reply #13, on February 28th, 2013, 11:53 PM »Last edited on March 1st, 2013, 12:04 AM by Maxx
+! on the Smiley and +1 on who needs a search menu. You need not search for a menu or the search they are there...
I guest when U click the seach link it should take you to the advanced search field, that way it will give purpose to it!

I personaly do not like the way some theme have many text links and button, you need hover over to see what they are, unless they are on a main, menu and then again some take it too far with that. text links are cool, old fashion in one respect but the site map ( LText link menu thing is less code and SEO / Mobile friendly. and also be more used everyday!

regards,
Maxx

Nao

  • Dadman with a boy
  • Posts: 16,079
Lol, didn't even remember I'd made this smiley... (Based on another.)
It's certainly not in the Cyna smiley pack I posted earlier to the team boards.
Also, while I'd love to have these smileys as default, I already said a few years ago that some of the smileys were directly taken from PunBB's default package, others from a PunBB community topic where people posted variations, others were done by me based on some IPB smileys (mostly for the animations or the basic idea), and only a handful are done entirely by me... If any ;)
So, really, it's hard to say that it can be put into Wedge's official package 'as is'...

I'm not a huge fan of text links, really it depends on what you want to do, and whether you find a suitable alternative.