google like search syntax parsing (also posted in sql programming group)

[neilmcguigan]

this is more of a text parsing/regex kind of question, but i figured
i'd start here. please let me know if this should go somewhere else.

I'd like to implement google-like search syntax, a la
http://www.google.ca/help/refinesearch.html

so a text query like this:

("google search" "regular expressions") OR (syntax text)
aSpecificField:somevalue

[some intermediate object that holds the expressions]

and turns into an sql query like this:

([aSpecificField] LIKE '%somevalue%') AND
(([field1] LIKE '%google search%' AND [field1] LIKE '%regular
expression%') OR ([field1] LIKE '%syntax%' AND [field1] LIKE '%text%'))
OR (([field2...repeat for all fields

basically i am having trouble figuring out how to parse the text query
to keep track of brackets and double-quoted expressions. am more
interested in parsing the text than turning it into SQL.

anyone have a reference that shows this being done?

thanks in advance!

 

[Usenet Honey Pot]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in @g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

anyone have a reference that shows this being done?

Have you taken a look at SQL Server Full Text Search?

 

[neilmcguigan]

hi stan

thanks for your reply. i'm looking more for info on parsing strings to
keep track of quoted and parenthesized values.

thanks

neil

 

[Kevin Spencer]

Well, your original example had the phrase "Regular Expressions" in it, and
it sounds like you're on the right track there.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

 

[Usenet Honey Pot]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in @g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

thanks for your reply. i'm looking more for info on parsing strings to
keep track of quoted and parenthesized values.

If you're going to manual parse - regular expressions is the way to go.

So basically you'll need to perfect your regular expression (Maybe use Sub-
Group matching?)

 

[scwebgroup]

I've just posted an article at http://www.blackbeltcoder.com/Articles/files/reading-and-writing-csv-files-in-c that parses a search query into a simple expression tree. My code converts the input into a SQL Server Full-Text Search query, but should be useful if you are interested in parsing search terms in a way that allows you to support and control operator precedence using parentheses.