Zen Cart’s search function doesn’t work very well. Search results are not ordered by relevance and many search terms produce no results even though there are products that should be listed.<\/p>\n
In this article I describe how I made the search function work better for our model rocket store<\/a> web site.<\/p>\n The method I describe here involves directly modifying Zen Cart core files. Generally, it isn’t a good idea to modify the core files of an application since it makes upgrading more difficult and error-prone.\u00a0 But the upgrade process for Zen Cart is already error-prone since many themes directly modify core files.\u00a0 Just be aware that by making the changes described here, you may be making things more difficult in the future.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The modifications described here are based on version 1.5.7 of Zen Cart.\u00a0 If you are using a later version, you may need to do things a little differently than described here.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here is a list of the files that will be updated (replace [admin] with the name of your admin folder):<\/p>\n The first problem is that the order of the results isn’t based on how well the product matches the search term. For example, a product that has a title matching the search term should be listed before one that uses the search term in its description.\u00a0 But, the order of the results seems random instead.<\/p>\n “Rob” of www.funkyraw.com<\/a> offers an elegant solution in a post in the Zen Cart forum<\/a> based on MySQL’s FULLTEXT search feature.\u00a0<\/p>\n I expanded on his technique a bit by adding a text field where you can enter additional text to be searched that isn’t displayed in the store and by slightly changing the order of the results.<\/p>\n We are going to add a column to the table that holds product descriptions and add a Full Text index to the table.<\/p>\n Using phpMyAdmin<\/strong>, go to the Structure tab of your products_description<\/strong> table. Add a products_search<\/strong> column with a type of “text.”<\/p>\n On the row for products_name<\/strong> click the Fulltext (“T”) icon (it may be under the “More” menu).\u00a0 Next, select the check boxes next to the products_description<\/strong> and products_search<\/strong> field.\u00a0 Then click the Fulltext link under the table and create a Fulltext index on the two columns .<\/p>\n Edit the includes\/modules\/pages\/advanced_search_result\/header_php.php<\/em> file.\u00a0 Around line 219, find the following code:<\/p>\n\n Replace the above code with:<\/p>\n\n\n The first few lines are existing code that is not changed just to show you where to add the new code. The new code is added where you find the following in the existing file:<\/p>\n\n\n The “\/\/ $from_str …” comment is dead code that is in the original file for version 1.57 (it might not be in a later version). Note that a “.” is added before the “=” in the last line of the new code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look farther down in the file for the following code:<\/p>\n\n\n Replace that code with:<\/p>\n\n\n Now, closer to the end of the file, somewhere near line 420, and replace:<\/p>\n\n\n With:<\/p>\n\n\n Okay, with these changes, the order of products returned for searches will be nicer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, to make it easier to edit the extra search text, we need to update the Edit Product admin page to allow you to enter text in the new products_search <\/strong>column. Basically, everywhere the code deals with the products_description<\/strong> column, we duplicate it for the new products_search<\/strong> column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the [admin]\/includes\/functions\/general.php<\/em> file add the following new method:<\/p>\n\n\n Now, edit the [admin]\/includes\/modules\/document_product\/preview_info.php<\/em> file. Near the top, find the code:<\/p>\n\n\n Replace it with:<\/p>\n\n\n Around line 20, replace this code:<\/p>\n\n\n With:<\/p>\n\n\n Near line 28, replace:<\/p>\n\n\n With:<\/p>\n\n\n Around line 41, replace:<\/p>\n\n\n With:<\/p>\n\n\n Near line 54, replace:<\/p>\n\n\nDo What I Say, Not What I Do ….<\/h3>\n
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Fixing the Order of the Results ….<\/h3>\n
Database Updates<\/h4>\n
File Update: includes\/modules\/pages\/advanced_search_result\/header_php.php<\/h4>\n
\/\/ Notifier Point<\/span>\n$zco_notifier->notify('NOTIFY_SEARCH_SELECT_STRING'<\/span>);\n\n\/\/ $from_str = \"from \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p left join \" . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . \" m using(manufacturers_id), \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . \" pd left join \" . TABLE_SPECIALS . \" s on p.products_id = s.products_id, \" . TABLE_CATEGORIES . \" c, \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . \" p2c\";<\/span>\n\n$from_str = \"FROM (\"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n\/\/ Notifier Point<\/span>\n$zco_notifier->notify('NOTIFY_SEARCH_SELECT_STRING'<\/span>);\n\n\/\/ $from_str = \"from \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p left join \" . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . \" m using(manufacturers_id), \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . \" pd left join \" . TABLE_SPECIALS . \" s on p.products_id = s.products_id, \" . TABLE_CATEGORIES . \" c, \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . \" p2c\";<\/span>\n\n\/\/ FullText Ranking code by Rob - www.funkyraw.com<\/span>\n$from_str = \", MATCH(pd.products_name) AGAINST(:keywords) AS rank1, MATCH(pd.products_description, pd.products_search) AGAINST(:keywords) AS rank2 \"<\/span>;\n$from_str = $db->bindVars($from_str, ':keywords'<\/span>, stripslashes($_GET['keyword'<\/span>]), 'string'<\/span>);\n\/\/end FullText ranking code<\/span>\n\n$from_str .= \"FROM (\"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n\/\/ Notifier Point<\/span>\n$zco_notifier->notify('NOTIFY_SEARCH_SELECT_STRING'<\/span>);\n\n\/\/ $from_str = \"from \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p left join \" . TABLE_MANUFACTURERS . \" m using(manufacturers_id), \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . \" pd left join \" . TABLE_SPECIALS . \" s on p.products_id = s.products_id, \" . TABLE_CATEGORIES . \" c, \" . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . \" p2c\";<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\nif<\/span> (isset<\/span>($_GET['search_in_description'<\/span>]) && ($_GET['search_in_description'<\/span>] == '1'<\/span>)) {\n $where_str .= \" OR pd.products_description \n LIKE '%:keywords%'\"<\/span>;\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n\/\/ Full Text Search<\/span>\n\/\/ if (isset($_GET['search_in_description']) && ($_GET['search_in_description'] == '1')) {<\/span>\n\/\/ $where_str .= \" OR pd.products_description<\/span>\n\/\/ LIKE '%:keywords%'\";<\/span>\n\nif<\/span> (isset<\/span>($_GET['search_in_description'<\/span>]) && ($_GET['search_in_description'<\/span>] == '1'<\/span>)) {\n $where_str .= \" OR pd.products_description\n LIKE '%:keywords%' OR pd.products_search\n LIKE '%:keywords%'\"<\/span>;\n\/\/ End ROGER<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n$order_str .= \" order by p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name\"<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n\/\/ Full text search<\/span>\n\/\/ $order_str .= \" order by p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name\";<\/span>\n$order_str .= \" order by rank1 DESC, rank2 DESC, p.products_sort_order, pd.products_name\"<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\nFile Update: [admin]\/includes\/functions\/general.php<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\/\/ Fulltext Search<\/span>\n function<\/span> zen_get_products_search<\/span>($product_id, $language_id)<\/span> <\/span>{\n global<\/span> $db;\n $product = $db->Execute(\"SELECT products_search\n FROM \"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . \"\n WHERE products_id = \"<\/span> . (int)$product_id . \"\n AND language_id = \"<\/span> . (int)$language_id);\n if<\/span> ($prodif (empty<\/span>($products_description)) $products_description = [];\nif<\/span> (empty<\/span>($products_search)) $products_search = [];ct->EOF) return<\/span> ''<\/span>;\n return<\/span> $product->fields['products_search'<\/span>];\n }<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\nFile Update: [admin]\/includes\/modules\/document_product\/preview_info.php<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
if<\/span> (empty<\/span>($products_description)) $products_description = [];\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\nif<\/span> (empty<\/span>($products_description)) $products_description = [];\nif<\/span> (empty<\/span>($products_search)) $products_search = [];<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n $products_description = $_POST['products_description'<\/span>];\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n $products_description = $_POST['products_description'<\/span>];\n $products_search = $_POST['products_search'<\/span>];<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n $product = $db->Execute(\"SELECT p.*,\n pd.language_id, pd.products_name, pd.products_description, pd.products_url\n FROM \"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p,\n \"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . \" pd\n WHERE p.products_id = pd.products_id\n AND p.products_id = \"<\/span> . (int)$_GET['pID'<\/span>]);\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n $product = $db->Execute(\"SELECT p.*,\n pd.language_id, pd.products_name, pd.products_description, pd.products_search, pd.products_url\n FROM \"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS . \" p,\n \"<\/span> . TABLE_PRODUCTS_DESCRIPTION . \" pd\n WHERE p.products_id = pd.products_id\n AND p.products_id = \"<\/span> . (int)$_GET['pID'<\/span>]);\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n $products_description[$prod['language_id'<\/span>]] = $prod['products_description'<\/span>];\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n $products_description[$prod['language_id'<\/span>]] = $prod['products_description'<\/span>];\n $products_search[$prod['language_id'<\/span>]] = $prod['products_search'<\/span>];\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n