[Pmwiki-users] New Feature Idea

[Steven Leite]

Improved Search / Jump feature.

There is already a similar feature in the Cookbook called JumpBox (or something like that).  It resembles a search box in that you just type the name of the page you want, press enter, and poof, your there.  

It saves you having to search for the page.  It's also convenient if you are not in the same group as the page, and there are no convenient navigational aids to get you to the page you want quickly.

My idea is to incorporate this feature in to the existing search box.  It may be turned on or off (off by default?).

Here's how it would work:  You have to tell the search engine that the search is not a search, and that it should be treated as a jump directly to that page (if it exists).  To do this I suggest something like a preceeeding "!" character in front of the search query. 

If I'm browsing documentation at PmWiki.DocumentationIndex, and I decided I want to jump to Home.Sandbox, I just type this in the Search Box:

Searchbox :  [[    !Home.Sandbox    ]] 

and poof .. I'm at the sandbox.

Extensions to this could include transporting the user to a group instead of a page, example:

Searcbox:    [[     !Home.                 ]]

Would transport the user to the Default page in the Home. group (note the "." after the word home to denote it's a group, not a page in the current group with the title "Home".

Finally, if the user types a name of a page that doesn't exist (maybe a typo?), then the query should be treated as a regular search. 

ALTERNATELY, if the page doesn't exist, and the user puts a "!" in front of the search query, this might instruct the search to take the user to that (non-existent) page anyways .. thus, this is an excellent way to create a new page without having to first create a link.  I've seen many questions on the mailing list about the lack of any feature to let new users create a new page easily.  This might be a solution.  

Well that's my idea.  Do what you want with it :-)

--S
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