How to list the search results in sevral pages?

Anon

Hi all,
I just start to use php3.0, and am writing a search engine for my client. The user can enter several keywords with space between them, then the engine returns all the related results from the database. My problem is how to list this 30 or 40 results in 3 or 4 webpages. I need one link at the bottom of my page just like "next 10 results". How to create these 3 or 4 result pages on the fly in my php script? Can anyone give me any hints? I'll be very grateful.

    Cheers Rainbow

Anon

just use a counter as a hidden field which determines which results to show.

something like

show 10 results...
hidden field = 1

if hidden_field_name = 1
get records 10 - 20
show results 10 - 20
hidden field = 2

etc.

Anon

Thanks for the help. But the problem is if the hidden_field_name can keep its "state" once I click the link. I mean once I click the link and go back to the PHP_SELF, the original value of hidden_field_name is gone, because I can't pass some variable just by "href", so how can I keep the "state" of the hidden_field_name?

Anon

Hi all,

My question is if the "href" can pass variables to PHP script. I just know that php can accept the variables from the forms. I often see something like the URL I've got now "http://www.phpbuilder.com/forum/read.php3?num=2&id=10498&thread=104970" in my browser". Does this mean the read.php3 can accept the variables num, id and thread?

Cheers Rainbow

Anon

that will be the GEt method instead of POST.. of course PHP accepts that.

you might aswell try to read a column which is on search engines, and teaches how to build the Previious 123 Next buttons on your search results..

simply click on Columns link on your left here, and then lookp for the search category..

good luck.
Daarius..

Anon

I don't fully understand your question. You can easily pass and keep the state of the hidden_field_name (if I understand you question right) :

this way it's always showing that you are on the next page...

does this answer your question or am I answering a wrong question?

Anon

Jakob Nielson (http://www.useit.com) and other usability experts tell us that users hate to click between pages. Me, too.

I have seen countless examples of search results, and in only a handful of those was there a compelling reason for not showing all the results on one page. (Those that required multiple pages were results involving a palette of images.)

I HATE having to click to a new page to get more results. I'd much rather scroll endlessly. (Now a navigator to help you get to a results, such as an alphabet picker where appropriate, is a nice touch.)
--David

Anon

You might be right, on the other hand, if you have to wait too long on the results because the page is too big, you might wish they had put it all on one page!

it's easier for the server too, to send only 20 results and the rest afterwards...

Anon

jakob nielson can kiss my ass..

i prefer a nicely formatted page to complete clutter and a cpu intensive scroll.