predictive text for searching

[libsfan01]

Im not entirely sure this involves JS but bear with me...

I'm looking to implement a system on a site where the user starts to
type in the search box (textbox) what they are looking for and this
triggers a db search to find the closest matching word/s to what is
already typed. These appear as rows somehow below the text box. If
this is possible it would be great because it would help save time for
my users searching for people's names in the database.

Regards

Marc Rice

 

[Randy Webb]

libsfan01 said the following on 10/24/2006 10:44 AM:

Im not entirely sure this involves JS but bear with me...

I'm looking to implement a system on a site where the user starts to
type in the search box (textbox) what they are looking for and this
triggers a db search to find the closest matching word/s to what is
already typed. These appear as rows somehow below the text box. If
this is possible it would be great because it would help save time for
my users searching for people's names in the database.

Google uses it, they call it something or another. It does precisely
what you are describing. Or it used to.

 

[libsfan01]

i dont think ive explained it clearly.

anyone who uses acquistion on the mac will know what i mean. the
options that appear below the search box as you type.

regards

marc

 

[Peter Michaux]

Im not entirely sure this involves JS but bear with me...

I'm looking to implement a system on a site where the user starts to
type in the search box (textbox) what they are looking for and this
triggers a db search to find the closest matching word/s to what is
already typed. These appear as rows somehow below the text box. If
this is possible it would be great because it would help save time for
my users searching for people's names in the database.

Google Suggest is what you are trying to mimic

http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en

Yes it does involve quite a bit of JavaScript and is a reletively fancy
feature for a page to have. You probably want to start by learning the
basics of JavaScript and browser scripting (buy Flanagan's book from
O'Reilly) and then later learn about an AJAX library (maybe Yahoo! UI
or Matt Kruze's library) or write your own.

Peter