Need to Develop Seach Engine Using C

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X-Rebel

Disciple
Friends, I need to develop a Search Application, which will search through a database consisting of Text Files. The data can be regarding any topic of my like, I am preferring a database of European Football Clubs.

I have a few basic queries. I started my work by developing a basic C program which searches for a string in a given text file.

1) In what direction should I develop my project.
2) We were given no details, so I cant understand what format my database hould take.
3) Searching is fine, but how do I display the results and how does my user choose in the command prompt interface, unless by choosing numbers.

Guys, I am not asking for code. I just need help on how I should proceed with the project.
 
Ya...but I think his client want an easy to use interface : "Application". And searching through DB's will need to have knowledge of SQL and PL/SQL for searching with logic.
 
X-Rebel said:
Friends, I need to develop a Search Application, which will search through a database consisting of Text Files. The data can be regarding any topic of my like, I am preferring a database of European Football Clubs.

I have a few basic queries. I started my work by developing a basic C program which searches for a string in a given text file.

1) In what direction should I develop my project.

2) We were given no details, so I cant understand what format my database hould take.

3) Searching is fine, but how do I display the results and how does my user choose in the command prompt interface, unless by choosing numbers.

Guys, I am not asking for code. I just need help on how I should proceed with the project.
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Based on what I understand from your post is that, your front end is a console based application and your data is stored in text file in some specific format which you do not know at this time.

First thing first, C will be a difficult choice to deliver it timely, as it involves lots of string processing, prefer some specific languages, check Perl. Though you can obviously deliver it in C as well but it will take much more time.

regarding how user will enter his query, well that depends upon the format of data, though you need to ask your client, do they really want a console based interface and not GUI. A simple GUI which allows them to select from various option and press submit will be a good option. But in case they want just console than you need to develop your own commands and than parsing it. I don't recommend it though as it involves a learning curve for your application user.

>>In what direction should I develop my project.

First see what the DB format is, as it will save you from the hassle of modifying code in later stages and will save your rework time.(which at time can be enormous)

Still if you want to start it than do your coding in such a manner where you keep all the functionality which relies on DB format separately inside few classes/files/function, so that you can easily change that later on. In other words decouple it.

I must say though that at this point of time your information is very rare and quite hollow, first fill this gap and than decide the direction. Unless properly analyzed, its next to impossible to meet clients expectation.(though many times even after proper analysis you don't meet that :))

good luck.
 
If this is a question between building or using an existing solution, give Sphinx a shot if you're not keen on re-inventing the wheel. It is designed for full text searches on Databases via a number of interfaces (SQL, XML etc).
 
Well buddies, i ended up making the application using C ... everything console based ... I had to make it it in C, it was a constraint, and the data was stored in text files only ..

The whole point was to give us a idea about the internal workings of the database ... and it did give me an insight into a lot of things .. thanks for ur help buddies :)
 
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