Is there really no way to search for these things?

[sc123]

I'm running Sugar CE 5.0, and have been using Sugar for over a year now. We're relying on it more and more, and finding more and more serious flaws.

One issue that is currently causing us endless aggravation is Sugar's inability to search large quantities of information stored in its database. It boggles the mind, but this issue seems to be recognized by Sugar's developers, but systematically ignored in every update to the software.

I first mentioned this issue myself over a year ago in May of 2007, in this thread. My questions and suggestions were completely ignored.

Then last month on the 24th I asked the question more specifically here. Again, no real answers. I posted there because I assumed it would be acknowledged as a feature request or given some attention by developers, but no one did so.

Now I'm posting my concerns here, in the hopes that someone will actually reply with an honest, sensible answer. I'll ask in nice bold print:

Why can't Sugar search Meetings, Tasks, Calls, Targets, or E-mail content?

As far back as August 2006 Kenneth Brill said here that Sugar couldn't search these areas. How can development proceed for two years without this being addressed? Why wasn't this implemented originally? Why isn't it even an option?

As a matter of fact, Sugar can't search anything that is added to your calendar. It's hard to believe, I know, but no data that you enter in the calendar can be found via a search, period. This sad fact is reiterated here .

There doesn't appear to be any hope for the future, either. None of the demos for version 5.1 include the missing search functionality either.

Yes, I know you can perform partial searches of these modules - but the important data, the description fields, cannot be searched at all. What good is searching the subject or the contact, when there could easily be thousands of matches to sort through? It's like having a Google that can only search page titles. Useless.

Why are the Sugar developers completely silent on this issue? Why aren't more people up in arms about this? There are a few other threads asking about it (and getting no good answers), such as this one, but I really think this needs immediate, high level attention.

[sc123]

After more than a year of asking this question, I finally found an answer - but it isn't the one I wanted. I was hoping that someone would come here and tell me there was a simple way to enable searching this content, but there isn't. In fact, you have to install a module then customize Sugar manually in order to search the description fields of the modules mentioned in the OP. Here's how you do it:

1. Download and install the Enhanced Search module written by Patrizio Gelosi. You can use the DEMO version for our purposes. Install in Sugar via Admin>Module Loader.
2. Next, go to Admin>Studio. Expand Meetings>Layouts>Search. Click "Basic Search". Drag "Description" from Hidden to Default. (Replace Meetings with the module you want to search - i.e. Tasks, Calls, etc)
3. Click "Save & Deploy".

You can now search your description fields! Simply apply this change in Studio for any module you want to search.

I have to thank Patrizio Gelosi, the author of Enhanced Search for graciously working with me to resolve this issue. Without his help and module it would still not be possible to search the description fields - for some reason the search doesn't work unless his module is installed.

I also want to say shame on Sugar for not including this basic functionality by default, and for ignoring all of our requests for it on the forums. This is such a fundamental need that we all share and for some reason it has been deemed unimportant by the developers of Sugar for years. I guess we can only hope that some day this functionality doesn't require a module and customization, but until then at least there is a work-around.

[SugarDev.net]

Unfortunately, this not an option for everyone. I don't want to commit my clients to a hacked SugarCRM installation, with risks of data loss/failure on every little upgrade (every couple of weeks).

Extended Search is great, but it compromises Sugar. Like putting plane fuel in your car.

[sc123]

Unfortunately, this not an option for everyone. I don't want to commit my clients to a hacked SugarCRM installation, with risks of data loss/failure on every little upgrade (every couple of weeks).

Extended Search is great, but it compromises Sugar. Like putting plane fuel in your car.

I've been told that you may not actually need the Enhanced Search module for the Studio changes to work. Try it out!

[DragonflyMaster]

Extended Search is great, but it compromises Sugar. Like putting plane fuel in your car.

Hi SugarDev.net,
could you please explain what you mean?
I'm using Enhanced Search on a development environment and I'd like to know if there are risks using this module in a production enviroment.
Thank you.

[kenshiro]

Unfortunately, this not an option for everyone. I don't want to commit my clients to a hacked SugarCRM installation, with risks of data loss/failure on every little upgrade (every couple of weeks).

Extended Search is great, but it compromises Sugar. Like putting plane fuel in your car.

There is absolutely NO RISK of data loss/failure.
It's just a search, no data is obviously changed : only SELECT queries are used in all related process.

Enhanced Search is being using in hundreds of production environments without any data loss/failure.
That concerns to both DEMO (free) and FULL (paid) versions.

At worst, if a user is not satisfied for any reason, can safely uninstall it and so reinstate the application.

[SugarDev.net]

I wish I could use Enhanced Search on all of my installations!

But I'm not very eager to audit every single 3rd party module to see whether it really conflicts, or that it just changes a few files (like I know Enhanced Search does). And if it does conflict badly on a future upgrade, if Sugar changes some file or API, things go wrong. I'm talking about blank pages, fatal errors, etc. And that's after the upgrade, so if you downgrade with the use of the same database, Sugar will not work directly. And with big upgrades (like 4.5 to 5.0), your data has changed dramatically already at this time. I really like to prevent these situations, and that's why I make all of my changes in ./custom. And that's that. I'm not willing to sign contracts that state that I need to support a hacked SugarCRM, I'm just not willing to take the risk. Why? Bad experiences.

Every Sugar user should make the decision for himself though.

If less people change core files, less problems will arise while upgrading. Also, development could be faster (by Sugar, because they're allowed to 'break' (means 'change' in the software world) APIs.

[sc123]

I wish I could use Enhanced Search on all of my installations!

But I'm not very eager to audit every single 3rd party module to see whether it really conflicts, or that it just changes a few files (like I know Enhanced Search does). And if it does conflict badly on a future upgrade, if Sugar changes some file or API, things go wrong. I'm talking about blank pages, fatal errors, etc. And that's after the upgrade, so if you downgrade with the use of the same database, Sugar will not work directly. And with big upgrades (like 4.5 to 5.0), your data has changed dramatically already at this time. I really like to prevent these situations, and that's why I make all of my changes in ./custom. And that's that. I'm not willing to sign contracts that state that I need to support a hacked SugarCRM, I'm just not willing to take the risk. Why? Bad experiences.

Every Sugar user should make the decision for himself though.

If less people change core files, less problems will arise while upgrading. Also, development could be faster (by Sugar, because they're allowed to 'break' (means 'change' in the software world) APIs.

So, long story short, Enhanced Search doesn't cause any issues, security or otherwise. There was no reason for you to say what you did, and now my thread is horribly off topic.

1. Enhanced Search is not "hacking" Sugar.
2. Enhanced Search does not "compromise" Sugar.
3. You don't have to use Enhanced Search to add the Description field via Studio.

No need to comment any further unless it's on topic.

[kenshiro]

I wish I could use Enhanced Search on all of my installations!

But I'm not very eager to audit every single 3rd party module to see whether it really conflicts, or that it just changes a few files (like I know Enhanced Search does). And if it does conflict badly on a future upgrade, if Sugar changes some file or API, things go wrong. I'm talking about blank pages, fatal errors, etc. And that's after the upgrade, so if you downgrade with the use of the same database, Sugar will not work directly. And with big upgrades (like 4.5 to 5.0), your data has changed dramatically already at this time. I really like to prevent these situations, and that's why I make all of my changes in ./custom. And that's that. I'm not willing to sign contracts that state that I need to support a hacked SugarCRM, I'm just not willing to take the risk. Why? Bad experiences.

Every Sugar user should make the decision for himself though.

If less people change core files, less problems will arise while upgrading. Also, development could be faster (by Sugar, because they're allowed to 'break' (means 'change' in the software world) APIs.

First of all, that's the only way to do it.
If you want something that gives the Enhanced Search additional features, you have to change mainly the 'generateSearchWhere' function of '<sugar_root>/include/SearchForm/SearchForm2.php'. There's no way to use , for instance, Logic Hooks.
I think that if a project really improves Sugar basic features, it has to change any of Sugar Files.

My objective is to play down the core file changes of my projects (Enhanced Search and Enhanced Studio).

Each project must be tested with any sugar edition/release , and a compatible version must be released when needed.
Enhanced Search is not the worst example of unstable project as Enhanced Search 2.0 was compatible with all the 5.0 releases from 5.0.0 to 5.0.0d.
So your points can be applied to any project (except stand-alone modules and language packs), as they must be tested with any new Sugar release anyway.

The way the developers maintain the projects in accordance with the SugarCRM subsequent versions makes the difference.

[DragonflyMaster]

3. You don't have to use Enhanced Search to add the Description field via Studio.

Hi, could you go deeper on this, adding more how-to details?