[Zope-dev] Comment on CVS change of default textindex search operator

[R. David Murray]

>To: zope-checkins@zope.org
>Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 19:47:31 -0500 (EST)
>From: chrism@digicool.com (Chris McDonough)
>Subject: [Zope-Checkins] CVS: Zope2  - UnTextIndex.py:1.33.2.9
>
>Update of /cvs-repository/Zope2/lib/python/SearchIndex
>In directory korak:/home/chrism/sandboxes/2_3Branch/lib/python/SearchIndex
>
>Modified Files:
>      Tag: zope-2_3-branch
>	UnTextIndex.py 
>Log Message:
>Changed default query operator to 'AND' instead of 'OR' (way improved search results).


This strikes me as a Very Bad Thing.  Not the idea of having AND be the
default query operator, but the fact of *changing* the default.  If I
remember correctly the default is documented (insofar as it is documented)
as being AND, but the default has been OR for so long that I'm sure there
are many sites that will break if this change is committed to a release.
Worse, the behavior of a site as seen by end users will change.  Finally,
it is my experience that most search engines use OR as the default operator.
I prefer AND myself, but OR appears to be something of a defacto standard.

I'm willing to be convinced, though <grin>.

A way to set the default would be cool, but might open up a can of worms.

--RDM