Can SQLServer index microsoft document formats?

Can SQLServer index the text in word,powerpoint,excel etc..?

Sumit
Friday, April 23, 2004

If I remember correctly it relies on the indexing service, wich can index anything for which it has an IFilter ( http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/indexsrv/html/ixrefint_9sfm.asp ). That includes the office formats and also e.g. PDF's and many others (e.g. http://www.ifiltershop.com/ )

Just me (Sir to you)
Friday, April 23, 2004

The Indexing Service is not very good. It's not bad, mind you, but not good, either.

We solved this problem by indexing with dtSearch. It's extremely flexible, and supports a TON of document formats. It even problems some document conversion facilities for us to give previews of native documents in HTML and Text for our users.

Brad Wilson (dotnetguy.techieswithcats.com)
Friday, April 23, 2004

Brad, does dtsearch integrate with 3rd party products - does it have API's etc?

Sumit
Friday, April 23, 2004

Yes, it has extensive APIs. We use it from .NET, with a RCW wrapped around its COM interface APIs. I seem to recall it also has native C++ APIs, among other things.

Brad Wilson (dotnetguy.techieswithcats.com)
Friday, April 23, 2004

You guys are killin' me, you know that, don't you? I mean, they just fall into my lap and I'm supposed to ignore them?

Philo

Philo
Friday, April 23, 2004

Remember Philo, the S word uses the index server as well.
:-)

Unfocused Focused
Saturday, April 24, 2004

Actually it doesn't - S*P* 2001 did, because files were kept in OS folders. S*P* 2003 uses SQL Server's full-text search engine, since all files are stored in SQL Server as blobs.

Philo

Philo
Saturday, April 24, 2004

I hate to correct you Philo, but on this one you're wrong.

WSS uses the full text indexing of SQL server to do searches (which is why you don't get searches if you let it install and use MSDE.)  SPS 2003 uses it's own indexing service which is bascially Index server with some custom management tools built into the product.  It has to, otherwise it couldn't index content external to the database.

Unfocused Focused
Sunday, April 25, 2004

That's bizarre. I remember typing "I'm not sure how SPS indexes external content - I'll have to find out" but I didn't post it. :/

I think you're right that it uses indexing services, but I haven't gone to dig it up yet.

Anyway, thanks for the clarification!

Philo

Philo
Sunday, April 25, 2004

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