Keep search query when search returns no results

[Erik Frèrejean]

Looks to me like the question is if the user messes around with the query string what should the result be:

What should be the correct thing to do in case user tries to go to a result page which doesn't exist by changing start = parameter in the link,
an error like - "This Search Result Page is not valid" ? or maybe redirection to the last result page?

So yes, the user did provoke the error and error message should be shown.

No.

Oleg's concern is as follows:
1. User searches and finds 2 pages of search results.
2. Moderator deletes a few posts. The search index changes.
3. User navigates to the second pages and gets the error (unprovoked).

In that case handle it as is done with topics for example. If the requests tries to display a page that doesn't exist show the last valid page.

[naderman]

One cannot distinguish between pages that don't exist because of incorrect user input and pages which do not exist because of deleted posts.

[callumacrae]

One cannot distinguish between pages that don't exist because of incorrect user input and pages which do not exist because of deleted posts.

Wasn't soft delete planned for 3.1?

[imkingdavid]

One cannot distinguish between pages that don't exist because of incorrect user input and pages which do not exist because of deleted posts.

Wasn't soft delete planned for 3.1?

Features that were "planned for 3.1" in the feature freeze may or may not make it into 3.1. The way it's working now is if a feature is ready by the time events, extensions, etc. get done, then it can be included. Otherwise, it will have to wait. So after extensions/events/etc., features will not be considered "for version X".

That being said, I do believe that it is one of the items nickvergessen plans to work on sometime soon, if I'm not mistaken.

[Oleg]

Soft delete has nothing to do with this.

[DavidIQ]

If we are talking about extending beyond the final page then just show an error that there are no more results to show and leave it at that. I don't think this would happen because of some "natural" occurence that often anyways (moderator deleted last page of posts in the results).

[Oleg]

Why do you want to give users errors when you can trivially correct them to the last usable page? What is user meant to do when they receive an error in this situation? Go to the previous page? If so why not send them there right away?

There are two situations in which a user may request a nonexistent page:

1. Search result set changed under user. User is unaware that this happened, and most likely doesn't want to deal or even be aware of this. If they get the last page of results at most they will be slightly confused, but now the "next" page link won't exist therefore hopefully they understand the situation. The alternative isn't any better in my opinion confusion-wise: as I follow a link to the next page I should not be receiving an error message telling me the page does not exist!

2. User requested the nonexistent page intentionally. Assuming they were trying to jump forward as opposed to being malicious, why not give them an approximation of what they presumably want rather than complain that their input wasn't valid?

I'm just not seeing the benefit of displaying error pages in any of the use cases.

The best way of handling this, in my opinion, would be to display a notice saying "You requested page X but there are only Y pages in this result set, page Y is shown". I believe there is a flash/notice RFC which could be relevant here.

[callumacrae]

Soft delete has nothing to do with this.

But it was *far* more on topic than your post was.

Although, it had everything to do with the post I quoted. Why not try thinking about it? I know you like things explaining to you, but it really isn't that tricky to understand...

If we are talking about extending beyond the final page then just show an error that there are no more results to show and leave it at that. I don't think this would happen because of some "natural" occurence that often anyways (moderator deleted last page of posts in the results).

+1

[DavidIQ]

Why do you want to give users errors when you can trivially correct them to the last usable page? What is user meant to do when they receive an error in this situation? Go to the previous page? If so why not send them there right away?

There are two situations in which a user may request a nonexistent page:

1. Search result set changed under user. User is unaware that this happened, and most likely doesn't want to deal or even be aware of this. If they get the last page of results at most they will be slightly confused, but now the "next" page link won't exist therefore hopefully they understand the situation. The alternative isn't any better in my opinion confusion-wise: as I follow a link to the next page I should not be receiving an error message telling me the page does not exist!

2. User requested the nonexistent page intentionally. Assuming they were trying to jump forward as opposed to being malicious, why not give them an approximation of what they presumably want rather than complain that their input wasn't valid?

I'm just not seeing the benefit of displaying error pages in any of the use cases.

The best way of handling this, in my opinion, would be to display a notice saying "You requested page X but there are only Y pages in this result set, page Y is shown". I believe there is a flash/notice RFC which could be relevant here.

Then maybe there should be no message at all. If there are only 20 pages of results and the user tries to go to page 25 then the user should just be taken to the last page. Scenario 1 is going to be a very very rare occurence in my opinion.

[bantu]

Soft delete has nothing to do with this.

But it was *far* more on topic than your post was.

It has nothing to do with this issue. We can not consider every hypothetical feature when implementing other features or fixing bugs. The developer of soft-delete has to make sure everything is still working as intended as long as soft delete is not merged.

The best way of handling this, in my opinion, would be to display a notice saying "You requested page X but there are only Y pages in this result set, page Y is shown".

I agree. As a slightly weaker solution: Just redirect to the last valid page.