SMF User Help: Searching

Introduction • Registering • Logging In • Profile • Posting • Personal Message • Searching

While SMF naturally incorporates a powerful search engine, knowing how to use it is not surprisingly the key to returning successful results!

Starting a Search

Assuming the forum is running the SMF default theme (or a derivative of it), there should be both a simple Search field (partnered by an Advanced search text link) in the collapsible top section and a Search option in the main menu. If not, the main menu Search option should still lead straight to the advanced search screen.

Syntax

While you can just type (and search for) any combination of characters, you should consider using quotes to make your search really work for you:

Quote Marks

To put this in a nutshell, searching for simple machines forum will return any or all of these three words, but enclosing the search string in double quote marks (ie "simple machines forum") will return only the entire phrase.

Simple or Advanced?

Simple Search

To use the simple search (if enabled), the basic syntax outlined above is all you really need to know. But you might also like to know that this tool searches the entire forum for any or all of what you specify that's been posted during the last 9999 days (which is more than 27 years)! So, to take more control of your search, you should use the advanced search feature.

Advanced Search

Although the advanced search screen might initially seem a little intimidating if a forum has many boards and child boards, it's surprisingly straightforward when reduced to its basic components:

Forum Name

Search

Set Search Parameters

Search for:		by user:


Options:		Message age:
Show results as messages Topic subjects only		Between and days.
Search order:

Choose a board to search in, or search all:

Category name	Another Board
Board Name

Check all

Some forums show the navigation tree at the top in a space-saving horizontal mode.
Despite initial appearances, there are really three options for how to search, with Match all words and Match any words being available from the drop-down, and "Match as phrase" still being available as described above.
The default * in the by user field is essentially a wildcard matching any poster. Please note that, while you can replace this with any single username for a more specific search, it's not currently possible to search for posts by multiple users except as that single wildcard.
Show results as messages returns the full message containing the search string (with a reply option) instead of the usual linked excerpt, but will naturally result in much larger results pages which might be significant if you are searching for a popular word or phrase.
Message age sets the minimum and maximum ages of posts to search.
Choose a board to search in provides you with another tool to narrow the scope of the search, with the default being 'all' (the whole forum or, more properly, all the boards to which you have read access).
The Search button not surprisingly sets the whole thing in motion, but hitting 'Enter' direct from any of the search fields is sometimes more convenient.

Introduction • Registering • Logging In • Profile • Posting • Personal Message • Searching

January 20, 2019, 06:29:27 PM

Fox: That would be cool to have, yes. Where the text in the ROM is uncompressed. - The huffman compression used in the gba games is not used in the nds game, so perhaps that may be one reason it wasn't done. I think it is some generic compression thingy. If someone did do it (and make the entire ROM uncompressed), perhaps I would be more inclined to work on my dark dawn editor. Hm?

January 15, 2019, 05:38:01 PM

KyleRunner: Could someone please create a GSTOOLKIT compatible with Dark Dawn? I'll try to translate that one to my language as well (as I did with the first two games).

January 09, 2019, 02:39:00 PM

Luna_blade: I wonder when true death will strike

January 08, 2019, 03:00:02 PM

Misery: That is true

January 07, 2019, 06:08:38 PM

JamietheFlameUser: so this place is pretty inactive

December 17, 2018, 06:43:36 AM

Salanewt: Okay, minor announcement I guess. We just looked over some pre-release footage of GS1, and noticed that one of the unused and unlisted animations we discovered in GS2 (and GS1) plays in that footage. "Brine" is actually an early Fizz.

December 15, 2018, 01:06:23 AM

Fox: :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFmr_TZLpS0

December 15, 2018, 12:58:01 AM

Fox: A banana for you, a banana for me, a banana to your face. Your face is mine! A face for you, a face for me. A face for the banana too. Who wants to feed the banana?

December 09, 2018, 07:43:31 PM

Fox: A banana for you, a banana for me, let's all open a banana and enjoy!

December 08, 2018, 09:48:52 PM

Drake baku: ba... ba.... bana.... bana.... banana.... nanananananananana..... and now back to doing normal, kinda

December 07, 2018, 05:43:02 PM

Luna_blade: Hey I forgot the christmas theme

November 29, 2018, 09:01:09 AM

zman9000: ded

November 19, 2018, 11:05:28 AM

Drake baku: Good day to ya all

October 30, 2018, 09:45:58 PM

Atrius: There used to be where I got the battle sprites for Kraden, but that site doesn't exist any more.