Site search limitations when using Spry Widgets

Report · Jul 23, 2008

Currently evaluating search tools to work with Spry accordion, tabbed panels and so on. Apparently NONE of them do. This is a big problem. Our site uses mostly Dreamweaver spry widgets.
I have tested the very highly rated zoom Search from WrenSoft and also expect problems with Google Search and Atomz (based on web research I have done).
If one searches for a word residing in one of the spry tabbed panels,accordians (there could be many layers on a single page of course), site search engines correctly take you to the page but naturally does not open the correct tabbed panel (Zoom Search doesn't understand DW code of course). Just presents you with the default panel. User would have to dig through all panels on that page to find the text. Our users need these nice interfaces. This is reality. Also some of the Java script in Wrensoft that highlights search words conflicts with existing Java script within Dreamweaver. I've worked around some of it but the core issue is the landing on the page and opening the correct tab. The question is can anyone suggest a search engine tool that will work with Dreamweaver Spry widgets or suggest something else. This is a huge disincentive to use Spry. Perhaps build pages without Spry to specifically go to after search? Sound like a lot of work.

Thanks
Richard

Report · Jul 24, 2008

RickRoo wrote:
> If one searches for a word residing in one of the spry tabbed
> panels,accordians (there could be many layers on a single page of course), site
> search engines correctly take you to the page but naturally does not open the
> correct tabbed panel (Zoom Search doesn't understand DW code of course).

This is not an issue specific to Spry, it's an issue with other JavaScript solutions that show and hide content, and it is also an issue if CSS is used show and hide content.

If you have a way to obtain the search terms from the search engine page, then you might be able to handle this (based upon your description, the WrenSoft JavaScript finds that info out), but then you'd also have to have a search engine built within your page that will search through the page and figure out what tab the searched term(s) are on, and then show that tab, but then what happens when you have terms on multiple tabs in a tab group? You'll have to determine which search terms are more important than other terms.

There is code available that will allow you to open specific tabs using the showPanel method. Check out the API for the Tabbed panel:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/spry/articles/data_api/index.html

And perhaps take a look at the code for this page (check in the linked JavaScript file):
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/spry/samples/tabbedpanels/tabbed_panel_unobtrusive.htm
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/spry/samples/tabbedpanels/tp_unobtrusive.js

As the Spry code is namespaced to specifically prevent conflicts with other JavaScript code, it would be good to know what those conflicts are so that others can be aware of them to try to prevent them in their pages.

--
Danilo Celic
| http://blog.extensioneering.com/
| WebAssist Extensioneer
| Adobe Community Expert

Report · Jul 24, 2008

Thanks Danilo,
I'll look at the links. I understand your explanation but most likely do not have the time to custom program. It's a great opportunity for searh site programmers to build a dreamweaver plug in....
Richard