Ah search plugins, we love them, we truly do! Every time we get a job to create a search plugin we fight amongst ourselves as to who will create this plugin! We have created search plugins that will search core Joomla tables, non-core Joomla tables, specific modules, etc… We even created search plugins that will search data located on a remote server (through a web service). However, there is one very special search plugin that we have developed and refined over the years, we like to call it the “Files – Search” plugin (not a very original name, huh?). What this search plugin does is slightly different than what other search plugins do: instead of searching a table in the database for a keyword, it searches files in a specific directory for that keyword!
Since we are very generous, we have decided to release the plugin for our loyal readers for free: you can find it here.
What does this plugin do exactly?
The “Files – Search” plugin will search through all the files in the “Search Directory” (which is a setting in the plugin) and will return the URL of each file that has the searched text in its content along with an excerpt (as well as the creation date of the file). The plugin will then send its search results (e.g. the matching files) to the search component, which will then merge them with the search results of other search plugins, and will eventually display them on the “Search Results” page.
What kind of filetypes can this plugin search?
Currently, the plugin can search Text files (.txt, .text), HTML files (.htm, .html), PDF files (.pdf), MS Word documents (.doc, .docx), MS Excel documents (.xlsx), and MS PowerPoint documents (.pptx).
Is this plugin stable?
Yes – we can safely say it’s very stable. In fact, we use it on quite a few large production websites and it performs amazingly. So, yes, it’s really stable!
Is installing, configuring, and operating this plugin a hard task?
No – it’s really quite easy. In fact, all you need to do after downloading the plugin from our website and installing it on your Joomla website is to modify the only setting the plugin has which is the “Search Directory” (to make it point to the folder containing the documents that you would like to search for). Afterwards, you just have to enable the plugin and that’s it!
Are there any limitations to this plugin?
Currently, the plugin will only search one folder (recursively) – so, if you want to search multiple folders, then please contact us and we’ll give you a quote for that (note that our fees are very competitive). Additionally, the plugin will only search files of specific types (these types are listed above) – again, if you want to search for other file types, then you will need to contact us.
Will the plugin work on all versions of Joomla?
The last time we have used this plugin was very recently (on a Joomla 3.4.5 website), but we’re confident that it’ll work flawlessly on Joomla 2.5 websites. As for Joomla 1.5 (if you still haven’t upgraded yet), then the plugin might work without any modification (but we suspect that), and if it doesn’t work then please contact us, we’re sure we can make it work for you in very little time.
Will the plugin search PDF files?
Yes (we mentioned this above but we wanted to assert this point), and what’s interesting is that it does that without installing any 3rd party library on the server hosting your Joomla website. It can also search the majority of Microsoft Office documents (also without installing any 3rd party library on the server).
So, is this plugin free?
Yes – it’s free: you can modify it whichever way you like and use it to fit your needs. We’re also against the practice of linking back to our website from our plugins, so you can rest assured that the plugin is free and clean.
However, keep in mind 2 things:
- We don’t provide free support for any of our free plugins. If you want support then please check our fees!
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Although we have made sure that this plugin is safe and will not cause any issues, please keep in mind that you are using this plugin at your own risk. We cannot be held liable for any issue directly or indirectly caused by the use of this plugin. This free plugin is provided as-is and comes with no warranty whatsoever!
We hope you will enjoy using this plugin the same way we have enjoyed building it. Should you have any questions about it or should you want us to modify it for you in any way, then don’t be a stranger; all you need to do is to contact us (again, keep in mind that our super affordable fees apply)!