Comments on: Resourceful Vs Hackable Search URLs http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/ Morethanseven is where Gareth Rushgrove plays with the web Fri, 16 May 2008 06:14:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: James Aylett http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8721 James Aylett Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:09:30 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8721 Don't forget that you can have parameters in path segments. Now how this gets used depends a lot on what you're trying to do, but for instance: http://traintimes.org.uk/from=newcastle;to=london/ has many advantages in that you can further compose it: http://traintimes.org.uk/from=newcastle;to=london/today/last for instance. Of course, generating these in plain HTML is painful (albeit not impossible - you can happily have /search?from=newcastle&to=london redirect to /from=newcastle;to=london/ ). I guess there's a useful distinction between a URI that can act as a view, and a search resource that can point you straight to the right view. Don’t forget that you can have parameters in path segments. Now how this gets used depends a lot on what you’re trying to do, but for instance: http://traintimes.org.uk/from=newcastle;to=london/ has many advantages in that you can further compose it: http://traintimes.org.uk/from=newcastle;to=london/today/last for instance.

Of course, generating these in plain HTML is painful (albeit not impossible – you can happily have /search?from=newcastle&to=london redirect to /from=newcastle;to=london/ ). I guess there’s a useful distinction between a URI that can act as a view, and a search resource that can point you straight to the right view.

]]> By: Chris S http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8713 Chris S Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:42:34 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8713 This is always a source of mindwrangling for me. Query strings imply name value pairs, which sometimes feel/more/appropriate/than/this. URLS imply hierarchy, which is usually the right choice. Different types of searches demand different URLs. The 'simplest case', ?q=keyword+search feels wrong to me as the name part of the name/value pair ("q") is completely irrelevant... /search/keyword+search feels better, or possibly /search/keyword/keyword+search (alongside examples such as /search/category/coconuts and /search/legs/3), but this breaks down if your search is across a number of criteria... It's in this case which a query string makes me happier (for example: /search/?keywords=ham+jam&category=fillings&cost=299) In the examples above, I don't like the train times. It feels non-obvious, and London is not subordinate to Newcastle (or vice versa)... ?from=newcastle&to=london would please me more. I think the Y! TV URLS are spot on though. This is always a source of mindwrangling for me. Query strings imply name value pairs, which sometimes feel/more/appropriate/than/this. URLS imply hierarchy, which is usually the right choice.

Different types of searches demand different URLs. The ‘simplest case’, ?q=keyword+search feels wrong to me as the name part of the name/value pair (“q”) is completely irrelevant… /search/keyword+search feels better, or possibly /search/keyword/keyword+search (alongside examples such as /search/category/coconuts and /search/legs/3), but this breaks down if your search is across a number of criteria… It’s in this case which a query string makes me happier (for example: /search/?keywords=ham+jam&category=fillings&cost=299)

In the examples above, I don’t like the train times. It feels non-obvious, and London is not subordinate to Newcastle (or vice versa)... ?from=newcastle&to=london would please me more.

I think the Y! TV URLS are spot on though.

]]> By: Matt Wilcox http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8696 Matt Wilcox Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:34:39 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8696 @Nate Indeed, the impact of different URLs for the same page content has occurred to me. As far as I know though, search engines will penalise identical content only if the top level domain is different. But I definitely would want to know if that's wrong. I've not been able to dig up any information on it. Ideally I want two URL solutions to lead to the same page. I'll blog later tonight on it I think. @Nate

Indeed, the impact of different
URLs for the same page content has occurred to me. As far as I know though, search engines will penalise identical content only if the top level domain is different. But I definitely would want to know if that’s wrong. I’ve not been able to dig up any information on it. Ideally I want two URL solutions to lead to the same page. I’ll blog later tonight on it I think.

]]> By: links for 2008-04-18 « Derivadow.com http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8695 links for 2008-04-18 « Derivadow.com Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:34:08 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8695 [...] Resourceful Vs Hackable Search URLs [Morethanseven] A nice article considering the design of RESTful URL including a look at including search strings in URLs. (tags: URL REST) [...] [...] Resourceful Vs Hackable Search URLs [Morethanseven] A nice article considering the design of RESTful URL including a look at including search strings in URLs. (tags: URL REST) [...]

]]> By: gareth http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8694 gareth Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:31:32 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8694 @Nate Not sure I see the /books/{book-name} example as a search as such, more inline with the idea of resources (ie. individual entities having a single URL). A search might be for an incomplete term or for a book on which you know the subject, and it might return multiple results. So /books/?q={subject} for instance. Good point regarding duplicate content though, especially where search results can return large chunks of the site content from elsewhere. @Nate Not sure I see the /books/{book-name} example as a search as such, more inline with the idea of resources (ie. individual entities having a single URL). A search might be for an incomplete term or for a book on which you know the subject, and it might return multiple results. So /books/?q={subject} for instance.

Good point regarding duplicate content though, especially where search results can return large chunks of the site content from elsewhere.

]]> By: Mike Nolan http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8692 Mike Nolan Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:53:01 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8692 It's good to know that I'm not the only one who obsesses about URL structure! I wrote a series of blog posts on the topic a couple of months ago: http://blogs.edgehill.ac.uk/webservices/tag/badurls/ It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who obsesses about URL structure! I wrote a series of blog posts on the topic a couple of months ago:

http://blogs.edgehill.ac.uk/webservices/tag/badurls/

]]> By: Nate Klaiber http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8691 Nate Klaiber Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:27:01 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8691 Im still not sure how I feel searches should be constructed. I have done them both ways, one in a hackable URL format - so people could type in whatever like /books/{book name or isbn}, /authors/{author name}, etc. I think it worked out well, there were a few considerations on the backend to tie everything together properly. I just like pretty URL's, no matter what - so I try and avoid the 'q' - even though it has been considered pretty standard. @Matt Wilcox The tricky part in regards to SEO is having the content change, or having duplicate content - so - while wanting to have your searches indexed, you have to balance all of that. That's just a small part of it all. Im still not sure how I feel searches should be constructed. I have done them both ways, one in a hackable URL format – so people could type in whatever like /books/{book name or isbn}, /authors/{author name}, etc. I think it worked out well, there were a few considerations on the backend to tie everything together properly.

I just like pretty URL’s, no matter what – so I try and avoid the ‘q’ – even though it has been considered pretty standard.

@Matt Wilcox
The tricky part in regards to SEO is having the content change, or having duplicate content – so – while wanting to have your searches indexed, you have to balance all of that. That’s just a small part of it all.

]]> By: Matt Wilcox http://morethanseven.net/posts/resourceful-vs-hackable-search-urls/#comment-8689 Matt Wilcox Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:28:34 +0000 http://morethanseven.net/?p=217#comment-8689 Very interesting. I've had a post brewing about URL structure for a while, but haven't gotten around to distilling all my thoughts into a coherent wrap-up yet. I'm very interested in URL as command-line, but also trying to combine that with effective SEO. It's tricky to do both, but I've got a solution in my head that I want to blog about. I had not thought to extending the idea to search queries though. Very interesting. I’ve had a post brewing about URL structure for a while, but haven’t gotten around to distilling all my thoughts into a coherent wrap-up yet. I’m very interested in URL as command-line, but also trying to combine that with effective SEO. It’s tricky to do both, but I’ve got a solution in my head that I want to blog about.

I had not thought to extending the idea to search queries though.

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