[Sigia-l] The Horror of Access Database

[Donna Marie Fritzsche]

>.
>
>Web search engine queries have their roots in full-text information
>retreival systems. The query model in a relational database does not
>function the same way. You don't use an RDBMS because you want to do
>full text searching (though some RDMBS packages now include full
>text search options for their fields, SQL does not support something
>like this).


There is another question here.  Now that you know this is a 
relational database vs full-text search question.  You should 
consider if there were benefits to using the relational database. 
Maybe the data stored in relational database and the method of 
storing it is useful information that you need to retain for your 
users.  Somebody must have been entering and categorizing the 
information that went into the database tables.  Was there a good 
reason for it? Should this breakdown of data structure be preserved 
in someway?  Is there a hybrid solution?  Is there an XML +  query 
layer solution that will approximate what your database offered its 
users.  This is any interesting situation.

I wouldn't  worry about Null search results being returned, if your 
users have specific information needs and the information does not 
exist in the system, there is nothing wrong with telling them that.

Keep us posted.

Donna


--