Short description
Make Search Box More Intuitive to Use
Currently the search box on the top right corner looks like:
Search: [ ] [Title] [Text]
It's not immediately clear what "Title" and "Text" mean. Plus, it's not clear which option is chosen by default after typing search string and pressing the Enter key (i.e. when the buttons are not used). How about this:
[ ] [Search]
(●) by Page Title ( ) by Full TextI think using one "Search" button and two radio buttons for "Page Title" and "Full Text" is much less confusing.
This needs the double screen space for a one-time advantage. After using that current search box for a single time (e.g. pressing enter, a user will know that it does a title search then). Same for the 2 buttons. So do we really want to waste screen space forever just for something a user will know anyway after 2,3 times using it? Also, it needs one more click for a full search.
I expected the "double screen space" criticism. But I think usability is more important. The space below the search box is not used anyway. You can say it's "wasted" too.
- "After using that current search box for a single time" ... "after 2,3 times using it" ...
In other words, all users have to search a couple of times only to figure out what it does, while it can be avoided if the search box is designed properly.
- "one more click for a full search"
First, at least users understand what they are doing (without having to search a couple of times). Second, if people prefer Full Text search by default you can change the default to Full Search. In other words, whether it's
(●) by Page Title ( ) by Full Text
or
(●) by Full Text ( ) by Page Title
doesn't matter. What matters is users immediately know what they are doing without putting unnecessary effort.
Hi,
Well sometimes if one uses hierarchies the Page title can become quite long. Let me give an example 
To get it in one line, we just have to change the button text to "by Full Text" and "by Page Title" or we can write [Search by] [Page Title] [Full Text].
If we add two lines for the search box, then we will have one line more.
-- ReimarBauer 2008-02-24 20:25:23
My angle: I think that a solution which makes it a little easier in the beginning but makes you pay forever after is a bad solution. The radio button might be better for people who like to use the mouse, but for a keyboard lover like myself, switching between the search types requires an extra keystroke. Plus, 90% of my searches are title searches. So I'd rather know that the default is set to title, and know that it never changes on me, rather than always having to check the position first. Also note that the "Title" button does show up as the default button (darker ring around it), so it should be cleare what the default is. To me it was clear immediatly what the buttons meant, but maybe not for everyone. It should be possible to give the buttons hint text shouldn't it? Just a suggestion. -- SteveDavison 2008-02-26 03:19:47
One line, better comprehension: The radio buttons would require more clicks than the two submit buttons. It's also better to keep the search box on one line, to conserve vertical space. Thirdly, the default should be to search by title. But the meaning would be clearer with buttons labeled "Titles Only" and "Full Text." And "Page Titles" and "Full Text" is clearer yet, removing (for example) the nagging suspicion that headings within the page might be found among "titles". This would add only two more words to the horizontal width, so there should be enough space for it. -rsc
Search: [ ] [Page Titles] [Full Text]