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  • From: Tim Bray <tbray@t...>
  • To: Kay Michael <Michael.Kay@i...>, xml-dev@x...
  • Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 07:53:54 -0800

At 10:46 AM 3/30/00 +0100, Kay Michael wrote:
>
>I really think you need to distinguish between a query engine and a search
>engine. Query engines answer questions like "find me all documents that have
>an <xyz> element as the third grandchild of an <abc> element". Search
>engines answer questions like "have you got anything about the causes of
>hyperinflation in inter-war Germany?"

I think what you're talking about would normally be called an Information-
Retrieval (IR) system.  Such a system is distinguished from traditional
search engines in the general case in that nobody has ever successfully
built one that, in the general case, works.

(putting on my asbestos underwear) -Tim


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