Add 'Full' breadcrumb trail to search results?

[Volksdevil]

Hi, hope I'm posting in the right area? I can't find a better place on phpbb.com or on here...

Anyway, upon installing RC2 to test and setting up a few forums I've noticed something that I'd like to modify. It's probably not something that everybody would want but...

Say I have a tree like so, notice the 'Forum1' repeats as the same name:
Mysite.com >> Category 1 >> Forum 1
Mysite.com >> Category 2 >> Forum 1
Mysite.com >> Category 3 >> Forum 1

Upon viewing the index page, or navigating to any of those 'Forum 1', the breadcrumb trail shows up just fine. But upon searching (View new posts/search results etc) the full trail is not there in the results themselves, I would just see:

X Topic Posted by X Member in: Forum 1
X Topic Posted by X Member in: Forum 1
X Topic Posted by X Member in: Forum 1

But all of those could be in each of the three above categories. I hope you see what I mean? Would it be possible to show the full (Or near full) trail instead?

X Topic Posted by X Member in: Category 1 >> Forum 1
X Topic Posted by X Member in: Category 2 >> Forum 1
X Topic Posted by X Member in: Category 3 >> Forum 1

Where I'm meaning for this 'Trail' to show is in the attached image.
EDIT: There's actually a Mod (Not in the Mod database) here for 3.0 https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtop ... &t=2124746 but although it explains what I'd like to do, I'm not sure how it can be implemented into 3.1? To explain the issue simply, duplicate forum names could be confusing/problematic!

[Pony99CA]

Yes, duplicate forum names can be confusing. Fortunately, you're in a position to give them unique names.

For most users, who probably give their forums unique names regardless of which category they're in, this is a non-issue. In fact, it would make Search worse on those boards because the forum name would be longer for no reason.

Plus, the forum name is probably one of the least important parts of the search results -- the post content, post title and topic title are more important. If a user is searching for specific posts, why would he look at the forum name in most cases?

This should be an extension -- or you should rename your forums with part of the category name to distinguish them from each other.

Steve

[Volksdevil]

Yes, duplicate forum names can be confusing. Fortunately, you're in a position to give them unique names.

In fact, it would make Search worse on those boards because the forum name would be longer for no reason.

Plus, the forum name is probably one of the least important parts of the search results -- the post content, post title and topic title are more important. If a user is searching for specific posts, why would he look at the forum name in most cases?
Steve

Cheers for the input Steve. I realise it won't be an issue for most forum Admin but for me it is a little annoyance as much as anything, and I can see it causing posting issues.

To hilight your points about unique names, and then longer names...
I'm trying to keep the names the same for good reason (Particular spec of product), but to also keep them short for SERPS (Breadcrumb microdata).

And onto the reason for the above...I've started a new site that will basically be for selling car wheels. And the structure is looking like this so far with 'Wheel diameter/size' followed by subforums of wheel PCD (Stud fitting or pitch centre diameter) See pic:

14" Wheels (Category) >> SubForums: 3 stud, 4 stud, 5 stud, multifit
15" Wheels (Category) >> SubForums: 3 stud, 4 stud, 5 stud, multifit
16" Wheels (Category) >> SubForums: 3 stud, 4 stud, 5 stud, multifit

RC2-PHPBB2.PNG

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So the issue is that, if a user searches and the results only ever show that people have posted in either one of those subforums (3 stud, 4 stud etc), they may well (Will more than likely) click the subforum and unknowingly end up in the wrong category (Either one of 14" wheels, 15" wheels etc)

If each of those subforums (3 Stud, 4 stud etc) could just have the category name in front of it within search results it would instantly solve my problem so instead of:

X Member posted X Topic in: 4 stud

It would be:

X Member posted X Topic in: 16" Wheels > 4 stud

[Pony99CA]

Yes, duplicate forum names can be confusing. Fortunately, you're in a position to give them unique names.

In fact, it would make Search worse on those boards because the forum name would be longer for no reason.

Plus, the forum name is probably one of the least important parts of the search results -- the post content, post title and topic title are more important. If a user is searching for specific posts, why would he look at the forum name in most cases?

Cheers for the input Steve. I realise it won't be an issue for most forum Admin but for me it is a little annoyance as much as anything, and I can see it causing posting issues.

To hilight your points about unique names, and then longer names...
I'm trying to keep the names the same for good reason (Particular spec of product), but to also keep them short for SERPS (Breadcrumb microdata).

I understand what you're trying to do. I've seen people post similar forum organizations for musical acts, for example, where they wanted things like History, Discography and Concerts as forum names for each artist that was a category.

However, I have no idea how shorter names will help your Search Engine Results. Do the four characters required to do something like 16" 3 stud, 16" 4 stud, ... really make your forum titles too long?

Anyway, as I said, that should be an extension. It almost certainly won't be in the core for phpBB 3.1 at this time anyway.

Steve

[Volksdevil]

However, I have no idea how shorter names will help your Search Engine Results. Do the four characters required to do something like 16" 3 stud, 16" 4 stud, ... really make your forum titles too long?

Anyway, as I said, that should be an extension. It almost certainly won't be in the core for phpBB 3.1 at this time anyway.

Steve

As far as I can decipher, it does matter regards the length of the SERPS breadcrumbs. (Willing to be corrected of course!) but from my own experience a few more characters can mean 'None display' of breadcrumbs in SERPS.

See pic:
Top result all good.
Lower result is missing the category which is underlined in the top result, it should be where the circled area is, but instead ... is shown, in part due to the extra characters/length of the breadcrumb underlined in blue.

rc2-phpbb-serps.PNG (20.85 KiB) Viewed 10713 times

So due to that I try to keep the category's/forums as concise as possible. I appreciate this will probably never make the 'Core' but I'd just like some idea's on the best way to achieve it. I'm not sure if an extension is a little over the top maybe? In fact I may try the Mod posted in the link https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtop ... &t=2124746 for 3.0.12 on RC2 and see what gives.

[Volksdevil]

OK, the MOD by AmigoJack for 3.0.12 https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtop ... &t=2124746 seems to work on 3.1 RC2!

But is this a 'Good way' to achieve it for 3.1? Maybe hard to say with no final release yet I know...

RC2-PHPBB3.PNG

(21.6 KiB) Downloaded 813 times

[kasimi]

FYI, there's a MOD in the MOD database that does the same thing: https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/mod/ ... nt_forums/
It needs significantly fewer database queries, in the best case zero additional queries even, because it uses the forum_parents field.

[Volksdevil]

Ah great, I'll have a look at that Kasimi. Thanks.