Simple implementation for search operators (Begins with, Contains, = etc.)

Question

Wanted to get your input on different methods for implementing these sort of operators for search fields.

I've seen it done mostly by adding an extra dropdown option before each field with these options (Apple uses this method a lot)

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However this takes up a lot of real-estate on the UI.

I would like to keep it within a single input field and maybe introduce filtering from how the string is entered:

• Contains (default): John
• Begins with: Jo*
• Equals: "John"

This would be a training issue initially, but once you learn it much quicker, and minimal UI impact on current design.

Answer 1

Something that requires zero learning efforts, less cognitive and memory loaded and provides more rich logical relations is:

So the proposition is to display search results in ordered way including occurrences from first name to last name. The relations will not be built in mind but recognized and picked from the search result. Recognition over recall!

Advantages are:

• No learning required – just type a fragment.

• Less cognitive and memory loaded: human is great in recognition operations. He looks at result, recognizes and recalls a person being searched. In contrast to:

  1. Constructing in mind relations of name fragments (start with, contains, etc.),
  2. Mapping the relations in mind to interface controls.
• More logical relations: beyond Start with, Contains and Equals there are more relations. So for not to develop own search language, just sort the results in proper way.
• More error proof as relation could be built wrongly in mind (fragment is not in first name, as someone thought, but in last name).

Answer 2

Here is a nice article by Smashing magazine on building effective search forms: http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/08/principles-of-effective-e-commerce-search/

I think what you did looks very similar to this http://www.myfonts.com/search/ (mentioned in above article) and it seems to be working fine for these guys. The difference is: their search form can be customized, as they allow the user to remove unwanted filters (to save on screen space).

Answer 3

Here is an option for a way to combine the input fields. There can be alternate options for this as I don't think the icons are intuitive enough.