The HTX file is a proper HTML file that contains variables that refer to data in the query result. For example, the following HTX code defines a page header that displays the query restriction and the documents included on the current page the user is viewing. The code is followed by the formatted HTML text it produces.
<%if CiMatchedRecordCount eq 0%>
<H4>No documents matched the query "<%CiRestrictionHTML%>".</H4>
<%else%>
<H4>Documents <%CiFirstRecordNumber%> to <%CiLastRecordNumber%> of
<%if CiMatchedRecordCount eq CiMaxRecordsInResultSet%>
the first
<%endif%>
<%CiMatchedRecordCount%> matching the query "<%CiRestrictionHTML%>".</H4>
<%endif%>
Documents 1 to 10 of the first 150 matching the query "systems management".
The HTX file is just a standard HTML file with some additional tags so that IIS and Index Server can include variable names and other processing capabilities. The HTX file is used as a template to format the results.
the Future of Index Server
Index Server is an evolving product and will add many new and powerful features with each major and minor revision. Index Server version 1.1 allows users to view the text within a document that matched the query. This is commonly known as "hit highlighting." Hit highlighting works with all indexed document formats, so users can view hits within HTML, Text, Word, Excel and even PowerPoint documents. When used in conjunction with Microsoft Internet News Server, Index Server 1.1 also allows users to search Internet newsgroup (NNTP) articles.
Future versions of Index Server will provide better programmatic access to indexing and query functions, thus allowing administrators and Webmasters to further customize and personalize query and results forms. Also planned are advanced query features that will help users refine their searches and improve query precision. This will help users sift through potentially thousands of documents and quickly find the most relevant.
Summary
Microsoft Index Server brings the power of Web-type indexing and querying to corporate intranets, Internet sites, and other networks, without requiring the reformatting of documents. With the click of a button, end users can index and query the contents of any intranet or Internet sites that are stored on Windows NT Server 4.0 with Internet Information Server.
This powerful and easy-to-use content indexing and querying system uses content filters to index and make available for query a spectrum of file types. Because its indexing functionality is extensible, third-party developers can create content filters for private data formats via the open standard IFilter interface. This means that virtually any application, even those developed by a corporation's in-house developers for internal use, can be indexed and queried.
The powerful query functions are presented to users in easy-to-use query forms that allow users to focus their searches according to a variety of parameters. These forms can be easily customized to meet user-group needs. And the indexing process occurs behind the scenes, requiring no user input and minimal demands on system resources.
Microsoft Index Server will benefit Network administrators and Webmasters, as well as end users, by bringing the power of Web searching to their own Internets, intranets, and existing documents.