Combine

The method to use to combine similar results. You can use this option when your index contains document sections or duplicate documents, to ensure that each document returns only a single result.

By default, when IDOL Content Component combines multiple results, it returns the result with the highest relevance. You can use the Sort action parameter to use an alternative sorting method, in which case it returns the result that scores highest for your Sort method.

Set Combine to one of the following values:

Simple

Combine sections of the same document. Micro Focus recommends this Combine option.

When you index very long texts, IDOL Content Component splits them up into sections and indexes each section as an individual document. Each section has its own document ID, but all sections of the document have the same document reference. This process improves the stability of the indexing process, and ensures that IDOL Content Component returns only the most relevant sections of a text.

However, when multiple sections match a query, IDOL Content Component might return multiple results that have the same document reference (for example, different pages of the same book), and if you set Print to AllSections, you receive the same text for each result.

Set Combine to Simple to return only one section of each result document. In this case, IDOL Content Component returns the section that has the highest score in the Sort for your query (by default, the highest relevance). If multiple sections have the same score, IDOL Content Component returns the one with the lowest section number.
ReferenceField

Combine results that have the same value in the specified ReferenceType field.

Set Combine to the name of the ReferenceType field to combine by the value of this field. If multiple query results have the same value in this field, IDOL Content Component returns only the result that has the highest score in the Sort for your query (by default, the highest relevance). If several results have the same score, it returns the result with the highest DocID.

NOTE: Avoid using the DREREFERENCE field to combine results, because it can slow down the Combine process.
FieldCheck

Combine results that have the same hash value of their FieldCheckType field.

The FieldCheckType field holds a value that you use frequently to restrict results (for example, a field that stores category names). When IDOL Content Component indexes a FieldCheckType field, it stores it in a fast-look-up table in memory, so that it can return it quickly.

Set Combine to FieldCheck to return only one result for each value in the FieldCheckType field.

NOTE: You cannot use FieldCheckType fields if you set URLAnalysis to True in your IDOL Content Component configuration file, because IDOL Content Component automatically uses the domain of the URL it finds in the document ReferenceType fields as the FieldCheck value.
MetadataField

Combine results that have the same value in a metadata field. You can use the following metadata fields:

  • <autn_database>

  • <autn_language>

  • <autn_langtype>

For example:

Combine=<autn_database>

If you set Combine to a metadata field, you can use CombineNumber to retrieve the top N hits for each value. For example, you can return the top 10 results in a particular database.

By default, IDOL Content Component combines any result documents that do not have a FieldCheckType field or the specified ReferenceType field into a single result. To return these results separately, set the CombineIgnoreMissingValue configuration parameter to True.

You can combine the Simple and FieldCheck options, in which case you must specify Simple first. For example:

Combine=Simple+FieldCheck

You can also combine the Simple and ReferenceField options. For example:

Combine=Simple+MyReferenceField
Actions: Query
Suggest
SuggestOnText
GetQueryTagValues
Type: String
Default:  
Recommended Value: Simple
Example: action=Query&Text=The Moonstone&Combine=Simple
In this example, if several results derive from the same source text, IDOL Content Component displays only the document section that has the highest relevance to the query text.

action=Query&Text=The Moonstone&Combine=TitleRef
In this example, if several results contain the same value in the TitleRef field, IDOL Content Component displays only the result that has the highest relevance to the query text. The TitleRef field must be configured as a ReferenceType field.
See Also: CombineNumber
CombineIgnoreMissingValue configuration parameter
FieldCheckType configuration parameter
ReferenceType configuration parameter
URLAnalysis configuration parameter