SQL Server 2008 contains the functionality you need to issue full-text queries against plain character-based data in Microsoft SQL Server tables. Full-text queries can include words and phrases, or multiple forms of a word or phrase.
Full-text search allows fast and flexible indexing for keyword-based query of text data stored in a SQL Server database. In contrast to the LIKE predicate, which only works on character patterns, full-text queries perform linguistic searches against this data, by operating on words and phrases based on rules of a particular language.
In SQL Server 2008, full-text search delivers enterprise-level search functionality. Significant enhancements in the areas of performance, manageability, and functionality deliver exceptional search capabilities for applications of any size.
The performance benefit of using full-text search can be best realized when querying against a large amount of unstructured text data. A LIKE query against millions of rows of text data can take minutes to return; whereas a full-text query can take only seconds or less against the same data, depending on the number of rows that are returned.
In This Section
- Full-Text Search Fundamentals
-
Introduces you to terminology associated with full-text search and other fundamentals and also provides you with a business scenario.
- Full-Text Search Architecture
-
Describes the new and fully integrated architecture of full-text search. SQL Server 2008 introduces a new Full-Text Engine whose components and full-text indexes reside inside the Database Engine.
- Administering Full-Text Search
-
Explains deployment and administration concepts associated with full-text search.
- Querying SQL Server Using Full-Text Search
-
Describes the different types of queries that you can run using full-text search.
- Troubleshooting Full-Text Search
-
Provides answers to frequently-asked questions and basic troubleshooting information.
- Choosing a Language When Creating a Full-Text Index
-
Provides information on how to specify a language when creating a full-text index and also lists the languages supported by full-text search.
- Full-Text Search How-to Topics
-
Contains step-by-step instructions for performing various tasks with full-text search.
See Also