Re: Complex Searches

Frank <fbortel_at_nescape.net> wrote in message news:<bpdvrj$8pq$1_at_news3.tilbu1.nb.home.nl>...
> Trevor wrote:
>
> > I am looking to write a complex search facility for customers to
> > search on product descriptions. This area is something like data
> > mining, and crosses with a number of db areas.
> >
> > I would like any pointers to books which may help.
> >
> > Basic Problem Outline
> > ---------------------
> >
> > Data is stored on part and partdesc, price etc from a range of
> > manufacturers.
> >
> > Cust can search based on a desire, eg cheap bath shower mixer, chrome
> > bsm etc
> >
> > Stored Data:
> >
> > 1. Bath shower mixer with kit
> > 2. Bath shower mixer with shower kit
> > 3. BSM with kit
> >
> > etc (100's of combinations)
> >
> > The actual descs contain the information but not in a literal form.
> >
> > Proposed Solution
> > -----------------
> >
> > dbs from different merged dbs into one db, taking commonalities as
> > much as possible.
> >
> > Cust request string is cut up and searched against the db. This
> > requires some knowledge of how srings can be cut up and how data in a
> > structure relates to the string.
> >
> >
> > When I was a postgraduate, years ago, I remember that people have
> > tried to understand these problems and never really succeeded.
> >
> > Now, I have my own commercial problem for my own company which is more
> > related to db searches, than natural language processing, and
> > therefore I am hopeful someone here can help.
> Sounds like a job for interMedia - it knows about aliases (BSM / Bath
> SHower Mixer), deals with typo's, etc
Do you have a URL for this?

I saw http://www.intermedia.com but this looks irrelevant. Received on Thu Nov 20 2003 - 09:36:49 CET