Re: Indexing source as HTML using search engine

Generally speaking using a search engine should be exponentially faster. 
This is because the search engine will have indexed all of the pages and 
really just does a lookup in its index.  And yes, I was thinking you would 
use the iSeries Search engine that you mentioned.

Tecnhically speaking, I think you could probably just use CPYTOSTMF to 
convert the source to the IFS.  The reason I was thinking of using HTML, 
is just that it would be nice when looking at the source in a browser to 
see it all color-coded and prettied up.

In terms of getting started, I think you would need to do a mass 
conversion of your source code and then index it with the search engine. 
Then, as an on going process, you could just incorporate this into your 
change management process.  When you promote a change to production, you 
could just re-convert that source and update the search engine index for 
those documents.

I have not tried it myself, but unless the search engine index has 
problems with all of the cryptic names in source code, I do not see why it 
would pretty well.

Of course, this would only be a useful equivalent to the Browse and Print 
List options of FNDSTRPDM.  It doesn't replace the ability to do an edit 
source on the matches, or to run a user option on the matches.  So how 
useful it would be might really depend on how you use the feature.  From a 
speed and memory perspective, this should be way faster and use less 
resources with the notable exception of DASD. This would obviously use a 
significant amount of disk space to store the copies of the source.

Finally, another option.  I know that you use Domino in your shop.  What 
if you used the same concept, and instead of converting source to HTML, 
you added it as documents in a Domino database.  You could then use 
Domino's great searching and indexing, and could possibly even use 
Domino's views to organize source by library and file to provide even more 
flexibility.

I think these are all somewhat interesting ideas, but in the end I just do 
not see it as important enough to justify the work.  Maybe if I had 50 
programmers constantly doing FNDSTRPDM it would be worth it, but 
otherwise, I am content to just use the Search feature in WDSC.

Mark










craigs@xxxxxxxxx
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
10/15/2003 12:37 PM
Please respond to Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
 
        To:     midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
        cc: 
        Subject:        Indexing source as HTML using search engine






If most source members were already converted to HTML into the IFS, would
using a search engine be that much faster than using FNDSTRPDM2 or
FNDSTRPDM to search for strings?  Would we be using the memory of the
iSeries like FNDSTRPDM or the PC memory?  Would this tie up the PC or
possibly the iSeries for quite awhile or is it even more more efficient?
Could we have a job that runs every morning to convert any new or changed
source members to HTML and then search HTML objects for any deleted 
members
in QSYS.LIB and delete those HTML members (keep in sync)?  My initial
reaction to all this was that I didn't see how searching HTML would be
faster than searching members directly.  I am now reminded of how fast
searching for strings occurs on this midrange list and how Mark Phippard 
is
sharp.  Does anyone know of a way or free utility to convert source to 
HTML
(or how it would look)?  How would we go about indexing the source code 
and
using the web interface.  I don't think I have the time or confidence to
try something new soon but I would like some help in thinking about this
for the future.  If it is faster, then maybe WDSC can consider exploiting
this method, assuming with some setup and more storage of course.

Is the web engine we are talking about the iSeries Webserver Search 
Engine?
Seen here:
http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/iseries/software/http/services/search.html


How might this be used?
Any insight or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Craig Strong

** Mark wrote:
  
 If fast member searches are that critical why not do something like       

 convert your source to HTML when it is put into production and place it 
in 
 the IFS.  Then use a search engine to index the source code and provide a 
 
 web interface for searching your source?  
  
 I do not know if anyone has written any wholesale utilities to convert    
 
 source to HTML, but the LPEX editor within WDSC can do it.   
  
 Mark  
  
  


_______________________________________________
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing 
list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.