Results sorted by score, within category?

[quintic]

Is there a way to have search results returned by score, within category? So, subheading 0 and all results of category 0 would be output first, sorted into descending score order; then subheading 1 and all results of category 1, sorted into descending score order, and so on.

This would enable provision of search results that match the structure of a site, with the simple interface of a single input box. (An 'Advanced search' link would be available for users who wish to search within a specific category, or to use any of the other complicated options that most users eschew.)

If this cannot be done in V4, is there any chance it will be available in V5?

[Ray]

No this is not possible at this point, and there are currently no plans to add this as no one else has asked for it.

There are also many issues that needs to be worked out for something like this, and it will probably require a great deal of configurable options: eg. How do you determine the order of categories to display? Everyone would have a different preference. Users might also expect the category with the most relevant accumulated score to be first. So that would involve a scoring system for the accumulated results in each categories. How many results do we show for each category? You wouldn't want 2 pages filled with the first category which returned 20 results and then only see the second category from page 3 onwards, etc. There's a lot to work out, and it's not such a simple option to add.

As always, we can offer a quote for custom development if people have specific requirements they would like to be added. Contact us if you are interested.

[quintic]

Thanks. You're right -- there are a lot of details to work out.

It would definitely be useful for me, as one of my sites has two or three closely related sections that should be searched together, but ideally presented separately in the search results.

Alas, I can't justify custom development as the sites are all hobby or "no budget for the foreseeable future" sites!