Quick Start Guide

Installation

QuestAgent can be downloaded as an installer for Windows (32-bit) platform and as platform-independent archive. (On the Windows platform you can also use zipped distribution.) In order to run QuestAgent you need Java Runtime Environment 1.4.x or higher (Java v5 or v6 is recommended).

Windows: Run installer and follow instructions. After installation is completed, lookup for QuestAgent in Start / All Programs menus and start QuestManager application.

Other platforms: Extract downloaded archive to an empty folder. Scripts for starting QuestManager and command line tools are located in <install_dir>/bin folder. On Unix-like platforms you'll need to cd to bin folder and make application startup scripts executable:

   chmod +x QuestManager

After that you can start QuestManager using:

   ./QuestManager

Folder bin also contains QuestManager.bat script that can be used on Windows platform.

Document Indexing

In order to index anything, you first have to define document collection. Document collection is defined by its root directory, file filtering and other indexer options. Note: Throughout QuestAgent documentation and the software we may also use term index profile which represents file on disk (XML by structure, named collection_internal_name.qip) containing collection indexing properties.

In order to define document collection, select New Collection option in QuestManager. Collection creation wizard will appear:

Step 1: Root Directory Specification: Specify or select directory you want to index. During document indexing process all files under the specified directory will be indexed. Use file-filtering rules to exclude certain files or directories.

Step 2: Collection Info Description: Description or title of document collection you're indexing. Internal Name identifies your index profile and associated index database files on your system. (For internal name use only characters allowed in file names.) Primary language determines lexical analysis algorithm that will be used for indexing and searching. Default encoding parameter is used for text files reading.

When you're done just click Finish button. The collection you just created will appear in QuestManager's list of currently open collections. All defined settings except internal name can be changed later.

In order to start document indexing from QuestManager application, collection has to be listed in QuestManager's profile list. If you have created index profile but it's not listed in QuestManager use Open command to locate and open the profile.

Select collection in the collection list and choose one of two available indexing methods:

• Recreate Index: This indexing method always creates index database from the scratch. That means all documents will be indexed regardless of changes made to already indexed documents.
• Update Index: Use this method to index only changes made to the document collection. Indexer will index new and modified files only and remove references to deleted files.

During indexing process you can click Stop button to gracefully suspend indexing. Indexing can be resumed with Update Index or restarted with Recreate Index.

When indexing is done click Close to dismiss progress information panel.

You can use Search panel in QuestManager to test search in indexed document collections.

Indexing in progress...

Search test panel in QuestManager

Deployment

Search interface deployment includes:

• Creation of Java class library containing QuestAgent search applet (jar file), accompanying HTML and JavaScript files and the appropriate configuration file.

• Export of index database created by indexing engine to index format used by QuestAgent search applets.

The result of deployment process are fully functional and ready-to-use search interfaces that you can customize and integrate with your documentation site.

In order to deploy search interface, select already indexed collection in QuestManager and choose Deploy search applet option. Deployment dialog will open showing directory where search interface files will be created.

You can choose whether you want to overwrite already deployed HTML and script files in order to avoid loosing changes you eventually made to earlier deployed files. If overwrite existing files is disabled, only missing files will be created and index exported.

When deployment is done, QuestManager will show you the message box with details about exported index database.

Starting deployed search

All QuestAgent's search facility files will be deployed to the collection root directory:

• qagent.jar file is a Java archive containing QuestAgent search engine.
• qagent8/ folder contains JavaScript files, third party scripts and index data files.
• qagent-SAMPLES.htm file is a starting point for your evaluation of QuestAgent search interfaces as it links to integration samples.
• sampleXX-.../ folders contain different integration samples.

Open document qagent-SAMPLES.htm using your favorite web browser and try how search works for your documents.

Deploying search interface for multiple collections

Using QuestManager you can easily deploy search interface for use with multiple collections. Just select two or more collections (hold down Ctrl when selecting collection) and then select Deploy option.

Search interface will be deployed to the directory common to all selected collections.

When deployed with multiple collections, search interface will show collection selection control. All search interfaces by default show multi-selection list to allow user to search in more than one collection but you can change that customizing search interface.