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14 comments

How to Search CR4

Posted July 11, 2011 12:01 AM by SavvyExacta
Pathfinder Tags: CR4 Tutorial how to search searching CR4
User-tagged by 1 user

CR4's users have a wealth of knowledge - but did you know that there's already a vast amount of information archived on CR4? So before you ask a question, try searching to see if that topic has been discussed before. There are a few ways you can search - and by using advanced search techniques you can narrow down the results.

Perform a Basic Search

The way to begin any search on CR4 is from the homepage. Enter some text into the 'Search all of CR4' text box on the right (conveniently located below the buttons for asking new questions and starting new discussions).

Note that if you are on a section page (Automotive, Electrical Engineering, etc.) a second search box appears. By typing your query into the 'Search this Section' box your results are limited to posts contained in that particular forum section only. This is a good option if you're searching for a broad topic that will yield many results.

I'm going to search for information about a 2005 Mazda in the Automotive forum. You can see how I entered my text in the 'Search this Section' box from the Automotive page, above. (There's another way you can narrow down a search by forum - and choose multiple forums - that I'll talk about later.)

Here are the results that came up from this initial search. Note that the results contain both threads and comments:

I decide that this looks confusing - I'd rather just see the search results for unique threads with my query.

Performing an Advanced Search

After starting a search, or by visiting http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/, you may modify the specific search options. Take a look at the following screen shot, described below:

  • Search by Keyword - This is where you enter the word or words you wish to search for. Then elect to search for these words throughout the body of the post or within the title only. If the words are vague, choose title for fewer results to look through.
  • Search by User - If you'd like to find posts by particular users, add this to the query.
  • Search by Tag - If you think the information you're looking for may have been tagged, then search for it here. Pathfinder tags are official CR4 tags; user tags are those added by CR4 users.
  • Find Posts from - Use this option to adjust the freshness of the results.
  • Find Threads of Type - In order for this feature to yield useful results, you'd need to know whether the original poster started the thread as a question or discussion.
  • Search These Things - Opt to include or exclude posts from various sources. Excluding discussion comments limits the results to the original threads only.
  • Sort Results By - Choose the order in which you'd like the results to be displayed - by relevancy, date, title, or type.
  • Forum(s) to Search - Include or exclude as many forums and sub-forums as you'd like.
  • Blog(s) to Search - Include or exclude as many blogs as you'd like.

Click the 'Search Now' button and the results will display as before. I ran a search on the same text (2005 mazda,) but did not exclude discussion comments. Here were my results:

I find this method to be cleaner. Sometimes including the comments can yield more useful results when you're looking for something obscure.

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#1

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 3:58 AM

A timely thread, I sometimes find myself trawling through posts to try to find some vagely remembered thread which holds a nugget of information I'm after.
Del

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#2

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 7:30 AM

Don't know if this will be clear enough, but here goes;

Nope !

I often use the thing you can't see above - go to google advanced search, slot in whatever, then specify domain as "cr4.globalspec.com".

Plenty of ways to build you own search engine with google widgets etc.

Any benefit to searching directly off CR4's search box ?

Whatever the case, that's a useful post, Savvy. Hope you put it in the FAQ or someplace obvious for new members/visitors. Being a lazy so-and-so, I occasionally pm somebody to ask where the <whatever> thread was()

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#3
In reply to #2

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 8:03 AM

Kris,

Google is another option and may be a little easier to navigate than CR4's search. However, CR4 provides some options that Google does not, such as only searching words within the thread title vs. including words in the body of the post. You can also include or exclude comments and choose to only look for posts written by certain users. I'm not sure if that functionality is available with Google.

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#4
In reply to #3

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 11:07 AM

Thanks, Savvy.

It's maybe possible to meet those criteria with a search method other than that available on CR4, but point well made - it's not necessary.

I recall a few tips that mgaulin had given before about how to navigate threads (key combinations to hop about threads etc), and even a little aside (I think by Chris) as to how one can refresh the 'quote for the day'. If anybody can find those snippets, it would be neat to have them here on this thread.

There was also a very good tip I got by PM (private message) about how to manage PM's better (display fewer/more messages at a time). Alas forgotten, and not much chance of finding it since I'm a bit remiss in deleting old messages - it takes about 2 minutes to load now (). The reason for non-deletion is the many 'keepers'. I've pleaded before but if time ever allows it, can Mark arrange so we can copy a message over to our registered personal e-mail ? Cut'n'paste is a bit laborious - a simple 'forward to self' button would do the trick.

Whilst I'm pestering you, it might be fun to test the CR4 system ; suggest an obscure passage/topic within the annals of CR4, and see how easily people can locate it (and by what method they use). CR4's search facility works fine, but it might be interesting to proof test it (?). A lot of good info is posted off-topic within threads that have ambled off course. When time allows, I shall endeavour to see if I can test an example (as much as BBT scares me )

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 11:30 AM

All good suggestions. I'm not aware of the keyboard shortcuts but if I come across them I'll write another blog entry on that topic.

Feel free to test everything out! I mostly wrote this blog entry as a reference point for some of our newer members. I thought this post might be a kinder way to share some of CR4's historical information with them.

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#7
In reply to #4

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 12:01 PM

Cheers - I found the 'refresh qoute of the day' tip here. Trivial maybe, but fun.

Just an observation, people get treated kindly if they've searched <whatever> (and let people know) when they ask a previously answered question. CR4 is a lot more user-friendly than most tech sites - I wouldn't dare ask a question on many computing dedicated sites , and many of the general tech/science places can be blunt to say the least.

I'll shaddup and let others post useful info for site navigation.

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#8
In reply to #7

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 2:08 PM

Hi Kris, I wonder BTW, have you any idea who won Bow of the Month on Primitive Archer last month?
Del

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#9
In reply to #8

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 3:11 PM

Will ?

You shameless self-promoting hussy ! Kudos, Mr the Cat - the pics, espesh #6 are brill

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#10
In reply to #9

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 5:17 PM

Aw, extra tail brushies for you tonight mr Squiggle.
Del

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#11
In reply to #10

Re: How to Search CR4

07/12/2011 5:24 AM

Quote from certain 'bluesearcher' ;

"The Longbows in the film Robin Hood with Kevin Costner (Prince of Thieves) are beautiful, the only "mistake" is that the bow woods arn't really historical correct beacause it was a laminate bow with tropical hardwood i believe. Although they did make laminate bows that time only with European lighter woods."

<sorry, Savvy, I'm just sewing seed to use as a test case for locating interesting stuff. Del's archery is a good topic, and several juicy bits are tucked away outside his blog/mentioned in other CR4 thread/contained in OT posts - I shall find a candidate to challenge locating something herein. Not a bad excuse, eah >

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#12
In reply to #11

Re: How to Search CR4

07/12/2011 8:30 AM

"...the bow woods arn't really historical correct beacause it was a laminate bow with tropical hardwood..."

An oversight that certainly would not have been made, had the film producers contacted a more accomplished bowyer. One comes to mind...

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#13
In reply to #12

Re: How to Search CR4

07/12/2011 9:25 AM

OK, I'll cut you in for 5% of what I'm getting as sales director on this, De the bowyer won't mind

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#6

Re: How to Search CR4

07/11/2011 11:37 AM

One other thing to mention: If you "hover" over links in the Title/Forum column, it will give you a pop-up of a line or 2 of text. I use that quite a lot when I am searching for a particular answer in a thread.

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#14

Re: How to Search CR4

07/13/2011 10:56 PM

Nice teaching post. Milo

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