Interface looks unusual, yet quite attractive. What concerns convenience, it’s quite controversial — multi-window solution isn’t the best variant (the query input is in one window, while the results show in the other and so on)
The program uses the same indexes for quick search, yet the indexing itself takes a lot longer than in other search engines. That strikes as unusual considering that the program’s data processing capacities are comparatively low, and thus index structure can’t be too complicated. Most likely it’s not a matter of unoptimized algorithms. This program appeared as a real outsider in indexing and searching speed: the program took 6 times longer than dtSearch and iSYS to create an index. Indexing 20 Gb of texts took 38 hours 46 minutes of work and the created “field of search” took 19 Gb — almost the same size as that of the initial data.

Sleuthhound can be offered as an alternative to the standard Windows search engine, but that’s where its competitiveness ends. It’s easy to see that Sleuthhound’s main function is a simple file search as it has a very limited number of options for query text analysis and the result window simply shows direct links to the files or folders containing those files. The results window isn’t too informative, so the only way you can view the whole file is by actually opening it, that is there’s no in-built file browser. Instead it shows an extract from the file where that word was encountered. This result display system is quite similar to the online search engines.
As for the program’s query processing capacities, even concept of “text search” is absent, the maximum you can search for is a phrase; there isn’t even a multi-line field for query text input. Nonetheless, a phrase query can also be analyzed and for that “iSleuthhound” offers a standard set of features: logical operations, masque search and quotation search...not too much. There are only rudiments of morphological search — so basic that they sooner get on the way of proper search than help it (a number of problems occurred during the test with the usage of morphology).
On the other side, the program enables you to select file attributes (date of creation of the document, file name, folder name). You can also look for letters having previously selected its characteristics (from, to, topic etc).

Well, now that we are done with the search itself, what is it that this program has that brought it all its prices, according to the information on the official website? It’s hard to say what exactly it is. Perhaps its user-friendly interface (the outside appearance, not its usability)?
Operations with the index are quite standard, although it’s nice to have indexes renewed according to the schedule. On top of that, indexes can be used online. Let’s go into detail here.

Regardless of primitivism of the query options, the program can be used for file search and thus its use in the network is well justified, although the program obviously has problems with the speed of search. It’s worthwhile mentioning that the Hound works quite well in the network, as there is even a separate application called Hound-Server that works same way as the desktop version (same search engine), whether in the documents located on the server or in the shared network resources. “Sleuthhound Server” creates new indexes on the shared resources or uses previously created ones. Any corporate network user can connect to the program and get access to the documents (located in the current index), using internet-browser. This scheme is quite convenient since search for files in your own network can be conducted the same way as online, thought Google, for instance. When looking at all the pro’s and con’s of this program, one way or another it seems that its capacities won’t be able to match the corporate networks (even though well-organized work with the network), while for the home PC, and even for the home network, it might be quite suitable. Although neither its speed nor its searching capacity look promising.

<< Previous personal information search Page | Next personal information search Page >>

November 21 SearchInform Technologies Inc. and “SOFTPROM” company will be holding a presentation titled “SearchInform Full Text Search Technology” that will take place in “Nest” business center located in Urickogo street, 45, Kiev.
The presentation will deal with the problems of organizing search in corporate information networks and online. Implementing search technologies to solve an enterprise’s information security problems will also be among the discussed issues. Detailed...

November 3 2006.
SearchInform Technologies Inc. introduces a new version of SearchInform 3.1, a program of full text search and search for documents similar in their content, featuring new interface settings as well as an enhanced and a modified functional. Detailed...
» News about our search engine

Corporate search technology Buy full text search tool now
Need help in document search? Search tools and engines tests

More about full text search engine