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●●●●
●●●● FA Writers Directory v1.0
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Last updated: Jan 25/15
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● ==== NAME SEARCH/LOOK-UP LINKS ====
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● SEARCH WRITERS LIST >>>
●●●●
●●●● SEARCH POETS LIST >>>
●●●●
●●●● SEARCH ENTIRE FAWD >>>
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● ==== HOW TO USE THESE LINKS ==== (cause they aren't what they look like)
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● These are embedded search queries that call on Sphinx, FA's search
●●●● engine. They are NOT 'normal' look-up functions. As in, the server is asked
●●●● to hit some DB or other, which then burps up what you want to know.
●●●●
●●●● Instead, these links give you the FAWD *page* where somebody's
●●●● name is found. Not the actual list entry. (The FAWD isn't on FA's servers, so
●●●● gotta do things a bit differently).
●●●●
●●●● Click a link, and up comes the standard FA Search page we've all seen
●●●● before. And with an *incomplete* query in the box.
●●●●
●●●● YOUR JOB: Type the name you're looking for after the word
●●●● '@message.' Caps doesn't matter. Then punch Enter.
●●●●
●●●● Sphinx takes the completed query and hits all the FAWD list pages.
●●●● Then <Ping!>. Result: The link to the FAWD page that has that name on it.
●●●● Clicka da mouse to see, and you've found the name you're looking for (if
●●●● that fur is in fact listed).
●●●●
●●●● At least that's how this is supposed to operate, if you take care to
●●●● mind the following:
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● ==== CRUCIAL RULES ==== CRUCIAL RULES ==== CRUCIAL RULES ====
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Sphinx is a sweet search engine; works most excellently. And as you'd
●●●● expect, it has *rules* about what is--or isn't--legal to type in as a search
●●●● query. A couple of them matter here.
●●●●
●●●● That said, IF the name is a whole word that's three letters or longer,
●●●● AND with no punctuation characters, THEN Sphinx will take it. Fits the rules
●●●● perfectly. However...
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● CASE ONE: Is the name less than three letters (or numbers) long? IF yes, THEN
●●●● Sphinx *won't* take it. Big Sphinx rule: It rejects queries that are too
●●●● short.
●●●●
●●●● You've got a non-searchable name on your paws. But you're not out
●●●● of luck. The FAWD has two sub-lists that show all non-searchable names
●●●● present. See Here for Writers and see Here for Poets.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● CASE TWO: Does the name have punctuation marks in it? Such as hyphens,
●●●● periods, astericks, carets (^), plus or equals signs, or what-have-you?
●●●●
●●●● If yes, type that name inside quotes. Repeat: INSIDE QUOTES.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Main reason: Some punctuation characters are short-cuts for function
●●●● operators. The hyphen, for example, is a short-cut for the logical NOT
●●●● function. Meaning according to the rules, Sphinx interprets a name like
●●●● Furwolf-Blacknose as Furwolf NOT Blacknose. Not right.
●●●●
●●●● Using quotes tells Sphinx to Stop That, and just read the query
●●●● straight. It works on hyphenated names. Other punctuation chars, there
●●●● seems to be room for fail. A name like ^FlufferTail^, even in quotes, will
●●●● cause Sphinx to barf.
●●●●
●●●● Fallback Tactic: 'Escape out' the punctuation. That is, put a backslash
●●●● --Sphinx's escape character--in front of the punctuation characters. Ie.,
●●●● "\^FlufferTail\^". And use quotes.
●●●●
●●●● In theory, this forces the punctuation character(s) to be ignored.
●●●● Sphinx: Excellent, but just a leetle arcane.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● CASE THREE: Is the name short, AND with hyphens or punctuation marks? Such
●●●● as Ru-Tail, Zu-Zu-Zu, or ==OK== (just to invent some plausible names).
●●●●
●●●● IF yes, THEN maybe trouble. The question to ask is: What would
●●●● happen to the name with blank spaces substituted for the punctuation? Ie.,
●●●● Ru Tail, or Zu Zu Zu, or just OK.
●●●●
●●●● Internally, punctuation characters usually aren't processed in a search,
●●●● even if inside quotes or escaped. Depends on how Sphinx is configed, and
●●●● the point is to make searching faster (I think).
●●●●
●●●● Sphinx effectively *does* substitute in blank spaces, then does the
●●●● search, and it usually works and we don't even notice. What seems like a
●●●● whole string of text to us--ie., Ru-Tail--actually becomes a two-word search
●●●● to Sphinx. Ru first, then Tail. Then the two sets of search results are
●●●● combined.
●●●●
●●●● BUT: The search on Ru fails. Word too short. Sphinx shrugs, then
●●●● gives you the 639 ka-billion results it just found for the word Tail. Not right
●●●● again (although Ru-Tail is probably in there somewhere).
●●●●
●●●● Likewise, a search for Zu-Zu-Zu becomes a three-word search for Zu
●●●● Zu Zu. All too short. Sphinx finds nuthin'. ==OK== looks longer than 3
●●●● characters to us? Not to Sphinx, which tries to search for just OK. Fail.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Upshot: Short names that have punctuation in 'em are potential
●●●● problems. Especially where parts of the name are less than three chars
●●●● long. Either you'll get no results (even if the name is listed on the FAWD),
●●●● or waaaay too many results. Excellent and perfect are not synonyms.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Fallback Tactic: See the Non-Searchable Names Lists, mentioned
●●●● above. The name may be there, and now you know why the FAWD has
●●●● these lists.
●●●●
●●●● Alternate: See here for the FAWD Map Pages and/or see here for the
●●●● FAWD Index Pages, which amounts to the old-fashioned way to find a
●●●● name. Takes a few more mouse clicks. Fewer Sphinx error msgs to puzzle
●●●● over too. Right tool for the job and all that.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● If things *completely* fubar no matter what you try, send a prompt PM.
●●●● No guarantee that a prompt fix can be found, but it's worth it to try.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● <<<To Main Page To FAQ-Ruleset >>>
●●●● (Use browser Back Button to return to previous page)
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
...........................................................................................................................................
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● FA Writers Directory v1.0
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Last updated: Jan 25/15
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● ==== NAME SEARCH/LOOK-UP LINKS ====
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● SEARCH WRITERS LIST >>>
●●●●
●●●● SEARCH POETS LIST >>>
●●●●
●●●● SEARCH ENTIRE FAWD >>>
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● ==== HOW TO USE THESE LINKS ==== (cause they aren't what they look like)
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● These are embedded search queries that call on Sphinx, FA's search
●●●● engine. They are NOT 'normal' look-up functions. As in, the server is asked
●●●● to hit some DB or other, which then burps up what you want to know.
●●●●
●●●● Instead, these links give you the FAWD *page* where somebody's
●●●● name is found. Not the actual list entry. (The FAWD isn't on FA's servers, so
●●●● gotta do things a bit differently).
●●●●
●●●● Click a link, and up comes the standard FA Search page we've all seen
●●●● before. And with an *incomplete* query in the box.
●●●●
●●●● YOUR JOB: Type the name you're looking for after the word
●●●● '@message.' Caps doesn't matter. Then punch Enter.
●●●●
●●●● Sphinx takes the completed query and hits all the FAWD list pages.
●●●● Then <Ping!>. Result: The link to the FAWD page that has that name on it.
●●●● Clicka da mouse to see, and you've found the name you're looking for (if
●●●● that fur is in fact listed).
●●●●
●●●● At least that's how this is supposed to operate, if you take care to
●●●● mind the following:
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● ==== CRUCIAL RULES ==== CRUCIAL RULES ==== CRUCIAL RULES ====
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Sphinx is a sweet search engine; works most excellently. And as you'd
●●●● expect, it has *rules* about what is--or isn't--legal to type in as a search
●●●● query. A couple of them matter here.
●●●●
●●●● That said, IF the name is a whole word that's three letters or longer,
●●●● AND with no punctuation characters, THEN Sphinx will take it. Fits the rules
●●●● perfectly. However...
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● CASE ONE: Is the name less than three letters (or numbers) long? IF yes, THEN
●●●● Sphinx *won't* take it. Big Sphinx rule: It rejects queries that are too
●●●● short.
●●●●
●●●● You've got a non-searchable name on your paws. But you're not out
●●●● of luck. The FAWD has two sub-lists that show all non-searchable names
●●●● present. See Here for Writers and see Here for Poets.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● CASE TWO: Does the name have punctuation marks in it? Such as hyphens,
●●●● periods, astericks, carets (^), plus or equals signs, or what-have-you?
●●●●
●●●● If yes, type that name inside quotes. Repeat: INSIDE QUOTES.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Main reason: Some punctuation characters are short-cuts for function
●●●● operators. The hyphen, for example, is a short-cut for the logical NOT
●●●● function. Meaning according to the rules, Sphinx interprets a name like
●●●● Furwolf-Blacknose as Furwolf NOT Blacknose. Not right.
●●●●
●●●● Using quotes tells Sphinx to Stop That, and just read the query
●●●● straight. It works on hyphenated names. Other punctuation chars, there
●●●● seems to be room for fail. A name like ^FlufferTail^, even in quotes, will
●●●● cause Sphinx to barf.
●●●●
●●●● Fallback Tactic: 'Escape out' the punctuation. That is, put a backslash
●●●● --Sphinx's escape character--in front of the punctuation characters. Ie.,
●●●● "\^FlufferTail\^". And use quotes.
●●●●
●●●● In theory, this forces the punctuation character(s) to be ignored.
●●●● Sphinx: Excellent, but just a leetle arcane.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● CASE THREE: Is the name short, AND with hyphens or punctuation marks? Such
●●●● as Ru-Tail, Zu-Zu-Zu, or ==OK== (just to invent some plausible names).
●●●●
●●●● IF yes, THEN maybe trouble. The question to ask is: What would
●●●● happen to the name with blank spaces substituted for the punctuation? Ie.,
●●●● Ru Tail, or Zu Zu Zu, or just OK.
●●●●
●●●● Internally, punctuation characters usually aren't processed in a search,
●●●● even if inside quotes or escaped. Depends on how Sphinx is configed, and
●●●● the point is to make searching faster (I think).
●●●●
●●●● Sphinx effectively *does* substitute in blank spaces, then does the
●●●● search, and it usually works and we don't even notice. What seems like a
●●●● whole string of text to us--ie., Ru-Tail--actually becomes a two-word search
●●●● to Sphinx. Ru first, then Tail. Then the two sets of search results are
●●●● combined.
●●●●
●●●● BUT: The search on Ru fails. Word too short. Sphinx shrugs, then
●●●● gives you the 639 ka-billion results it just found for the word Tail. Not right
●●●● again (although Ru-Tail is probably in there somewhere).
●●●●
●●●● Likewise, a search for Zu-Zu-Zu becomes a three-word search for Zu
●●●● Zu Zu. All too short. Sphinx finds nuthin'. ==OK== looks longer than 3
●●●● characters to us? Not to Sphinx, which tries to search for just OK. Fail.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Upshot: Short names that have punctuation in 'em are potential
●●●● problems. Especially where parts of the name are less than three chars
●●●● long. Either you'll get no results (even if the name is listed on the FAWD),
●●●● or waaaay too many results. Excellent and perfect are not synonyms.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● Fallback Tactic: See the Non-Searchable Names Lists, mentioned
●●●● above. The name may be there, and now you know why the FAWD has
●●●● these lists.
●●●●
●●●● Alternate: See here for the FAWD Map Pages and/or see here for the
●●●● FAWD Index Pages, which amounts to the old-fashioned way to find a
●●●● name. Takes a few more mouse clicks. Fewer Sphinx error msgs to puzzle
●●●● over too. Right tool for the job and all that.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● If things *completely* fubar no matter what you try, send a prompt PM.
●●●● No guarantee that a prompt fix can be found, but it's worth it to try.
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
●●●● <<<To Main Page To FAQ-Ruleset >>>
●●●● (Use browser Back Button to return to previous page)
●●●●
●●●●
●●●●
...........................................................................................................................................
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 163 x 163px
File Size 2.1 kB
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