Common
areas that can create problems when setting up your search
page.
Contents
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Framesets
| Customising
the results screen |
Absolute
and relative links
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Framesets
If your website has frames
be sure that you direct the results page to open in the correct
TARGET. You will need to edit the first field in the search form code
and define the TARGET.
For example:
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<FORM
ACTION="http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/search97cgi/s97_cgi"
METHOD=post>
Add the
TARGET and name of your target to define in which frame
you want the search results to appear. Here we have called
the frame 'main'.
<FORM
ACTION="http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/search97cgi/s97_cgi"
METHOD=POST TARGET=main>
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One of the troubles with framesets is
the inability to bookmark particular screens of your site, therefore
it is a good idea to have a specific frameset for your search page
that people can bookmark. Also we can then link directly to your
search page from our list of examples.
Customising
the results screen to your site's look and feel
Does your site search work
but the results screen is not displaying your look and feel? If so,
there is probably an error in the HTML code syntax in your site
search query screen. Its easy to fix. Here's why and
how...
Your site search query screen is
on your website, on your server. Your site search
results screen comes from our server. The code
producing your site's look and feel on your search results screen is
part of the code you submit (along with the actual search query) with
your site search query screen form.
For the whole thing to work you need to
put a string of HTML code tags inside a single HTML tag, in the
hidden input header tag in your site search query screen. This string
can be as long as you like and include a menu and / or logo image for
example (remember you must use absolute anchor references for links
to your website in this string of code). However, for the customising
to work, all the double quotes in your string of header and
footer code must be changed to single quotes - and then the
whole string is encolsed in one set of double quotes.
For
example:
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Replace the word
'Default' with the string of code which defines the look and
feel of the header and footer in your screen:
<INPUT TYPE=hidden
NAME=Header VALUE="Default">
<INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME=Footer VALUE="Default">
Be sure to change all the double quotes within your header
and footer string to single quotes, that is, from
"
to ':
<INPUT TYPE=hidden NAME=Header VALUE="<HEAD><TITLE>Search
our site</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR='#FFFFC6'
LINK='#FF0000'ALINK='#FFC200'
VLINK='#8F3802'>">
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A simple way to do this is
to:
- copy the string of header or footer
code from one of your files and paste it into a new, temporary
file
- use the search and replace function
of your editor to change all the double quotes to single quotes
(if you are using any anchor references to your own website in
either the header or footer string, make sure they are all
absolute references, not relative)
- copy the completed string to replace
the word 'Default' in the appropriate hidden field (that is, your
header code in the header field and footer code in the footer
field)
- make sure you retain the set of
double quotes around the entire string and keep the closing angle
bracket.
*Tip*
Include a 'Search again' link in your footer which refers back to
your site search screen.
Absolute
and relative link references
As the site search results
screen comes from our server any links in either of the hidden header
or footer fields in your site search form which refer back to your
website must be absolute and not relative.
For example, suppose your domain name
is www.yourname.com.au and you have three main menu areas using the
following addresses:
Home
http://www.yourname.com.au/
About
http://www.yourname.com.au/about/
Events
http://www.yourname.com.au/events/
Shop
http://www.yourname.com.au/shop/
Within your own website you can use
relative references for links within your site:
<A
HREF="/shop/">Shop</A>
If you are including the same link in
either of the hidden header or footer fields in your site search form
you must use the full absolute reference:
<A
HREF="http://www.yourname.com.au/shop/">Shop</A>
As your site search results come from our
server, if you use a relative reference, whatever your link is - in this
case '/shop/' - it will be added on to our address ( http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/shop/
) and most likely cause an error. In any case it will not link back you
your website, so remember to always use absolute references if you put
any links in either of the hidden header or footer fields in your site
search form which refer back to your website.
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