Quick Topic Search

[mccracken02]

I would like to do a text search for topics or plots, view the results, and choose to open a result in current or new tab. The existing method in the almanac is built to filter the current view, not really search and open. I find the current click based interface a bit cumbersome for quickly locating information, and ctrl+shift+f would require opening a new tab before searching. The speed of access is very apparent when the players are asking about something that is not linked to the content you are currently viewing.

I see in the quickstart guide PDF a reference to "Full-text search index", but I'm not sure how to use that to quickly find and open a topic.

[Caktus]

+1

I'm quite sure the developers use some IDE to program Realm Works. I'd like to see as seamless way to move from topic to another as IDEs typically provide. Just ctrl+shift+f and typing a couple of letters from the topic's title would take me to said topic.

This problem arises constantly during live play. Let's consider example from last week's game:
- Player asks me a question considering specific NPC
- I type ctrl+shift+f to open search dialog, type topic name and press enter
- Nothing happens
- I press ctrl+shift+f again and tick the "Enable Custom Search Filter within Tab" checkbox
- Now almost all categories are empty, but do not disappear (I use topic grouping by category), I still have to scroll Story almanac to find NPC
- I click to open topic
- Player asks me about other topic
- I press ctrl+shift+f and type topic name and enter
- search shows nothing since I have accidentally typed "topicname1topicname2" to the search box, since it does not clear itself between searches

There is still much improvement in search functionality and this limits my eagerness to create huge amounts of topics.

[gloranphile]

+1000 to improving seach, in all almanacs.

[meek75]

+1 If the searching ability was better the containing topic hierarchy would not matter so much. The more entries I get the harder it is to find things.

[Parody]

Originally Posted by Caktus

- Now almost all categories are empty, but do not disappear (I use topic grouping by category), I still have to scroll Story almanac to find NPC

Aside: This is one of the reasons I couldn't imagine using either of the Group By Category options, even after hiding a lot of the categories. Unless you have a bunch of Topics/Articles in each category it's just visual spam; the Simple Groupings are enough.

You can turn the headings off: uncheck "Organize Similar Kinds of Article" in the Navigation Pane Options popup menu. Unfortunately, while this hides the headings it doesn't put the list in alphabetical order, so it's a little pointless except when you're trying to find the 3 search...err...filter results among your 30+ category headers.

Can't win for losing. :)

[rob]

Improving the search is on the short list of things we'll be addressing in the near term.

One trick we've recommended many times before is to always keep a tab open for the sole purpose of quickly finding content via the search mechanism. That makes the process significant quicker to find what you want. I keep it as the first tab for instant access.

[rob]

Originally Posted by Parody

Aside: This is one of the reasons I couldn't imagine using either of the Group By Category options, even after hiding a lot of the categories. Unless you have a bunch of Topics/Articles in each category it's just visual spam; the Simple Groupings are enough.

You can turn the headings off: uncheck "Organize Similar Kinds of Article" in the Navigation Pane Options popup menu. Unfortunately, while this hides the headings it doesn't put the list in alphabetical order, so it's a little pointless except when you're trying to find the 3 search...err...filter results among your 30+ category headers.

Can't win for losing. :)

There's already a simple solution to avoid the problem you describe (assuming I'm understanding it correctly, at least). Within the Navigation pane, click on the Options menu and then go into the "Empty Group Visibility" submenu. Select "Hide When Filter Active". Now, whenever you engage a filter to find what you're looking for, the only groupings that will appear are those that contain topics matching your search.

[Parody]

Not really an issue for me (as I use the Simple Groupings and thus forgot this option existed) but it might help one step of Caktus' search and similar situations for others.

[Caktus]

Originally Posted by rob

There's already a simple solution to avoid the problem you describe (assuming I'm understanding it correctly, at least). Within the Navigation pane, click on the Options menu and then go into the "Empty Group Visibility" submenu. Select "Hide When Filter Active". Now, whenever you engage a filter to find what you're looking for, the only groupings that will appear are those that contain topics matching your search.

Thanks for the tip! Hadn't noticed that option