7 Messages
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262 Points
Title Search vs Keyword Search: The Craziness of ?title_type= And ?genres=
The two primary Search programs on IMDB.com are Title Search and Keyword Search. These are distinctly different pieces of software, written by different people, but perform largely the same function as one another. The parameters they accept are largely the same, and the records they display are largely the same. There are a few distinct differences, and I'll get to them.
But I want to point out one big old glaring difference between the two. Under a Title Search a Feature Film is known as a "?title_type=feature", while under a Keyword Search a Feature Film is known as a "?title_type=movie", and they always a different number of results. They are not different names for the same thing.
Let me start by showing this bit of deconstruction of the two search engines, and two prominent variables they accept.
As you can see, besides the fact that a Keyword Search requires its variables to be Case Sensitive, with a slight difference in variable naming convention... much of the rest of these search functions are identical.
The results from a Keyword Search displays a larger thumbnail, and a Refine Search box, while the benefits of a Title Search is the ability to return 250 results per page instead of just 50 (&count=250), and a few other minor details.
But what I really want to identify is the difference between a Feature Film "feature" and a Feature Film "movie" as they are defined between these two different search engines. Most films overlap between these two categories, while 10 to 20 percent do not.
Anyone?
But I want to point out one big old glaring difference between the two. Under a Title Search a Feature Film is known as a "?title_type=feature", while under a Keyword Search a Feature Film is known as a "?title_type=movie", and they always a different number of results. They are not different names for the same thing.
Let me start by showing this bit of deconstruction of the two search engines, and two prominent variables they accept.
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=&genres=keywords=
title_type=
feature video short documentary video_game
tv_movie tv_special tv_short tv_series tv_miniseries tv_episode
(also accepted inputs from Keyword Search): movie videoGame
tvMovie tvSpecial tvShort tvSeries tvMiniSeries tvEpisode
genres=
action adult adventure animation biography comedy crime documentary
drama family fantasy film-noir game-show history horror music
musical mystery news reality-tv romance sci-fi short sport talk-show
thriller war western
(adult and short are not advertised in the advanced search.)
https://www.imdb.com/search/keyword/?title_type=&genres=keywords=
title_type= (CaSe SeNsItIvE)
movie video short videoGame
tvMovie tvSpecial tvShort tvSeries tvMiniSeries tvEpisode
(Title Search inputs are NOT accepted): feature documentary video_game
tv_movie tv_special tv_short tv_series tv_miniseries tv_episode
genres= (CaSe SeNsItIvE)
Action Adult Adventure Animation Biography Comedy Crime Documentary
Drama Family Fantasy Film-Noir Game-Show History Horror Music
Musical Mystery News Reality-Tv Romance Sci-Fi Short Sport Talk-Show
Thriller War WesternSo you can use this as a quick reference guide to the lay of the land between these two searches. By and large they are identical, but strangely, Keyword Searches cannot search for objects with a Title Type of Documentary, nor does it return the same list of Feature Films (=movie) that a Title Search displays for Feature Films (=feature).As you can see, besides the fact that a Keyword Search requires its variables to be Case Sensitive, with a slight difference in variable naming convention... much of the rest of these search functions are identical.
The results from a Keyword Search displays a larger thumbnail, and a Refine Search box, while the benefits of a Title Search is the ability to return 250 results per page instead of just 50 (&count=250), and a few other minor details.
But what I really want to identify is the difference between a Feature Film "feature" and a Feature Film "movie" as they are defined between these two different search engines. Most films overlap between these two categories, while 10 to 20 percent do not.
Anyone?
a_raccoon
7 Messages
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262 Points
5 years ago
Tell me why these two searches for "Adult" genre return different search results.
https://www.imdb.com/search/keyword/?genres=Adult
33 titles.
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?genres=Adult
63 titles.
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bderoes
Champion
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5K Messages
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118.1K Points
5 years ago
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls007035631/?title_type=movie&keywords=singer
(notice it translated the checkbox label "feature" into title_type "movie")
found 542 titles.
But using ATS,
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=feature&keywords=singer&lists=ls007035631
found 533 titles.
Unfortunately, keyword search doesn't recognize the list selection parameter.
Here are the 9 titles from the longer list, all documentaries:
Becoming Traviata (2012)
Every Little Step (2008)
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
That's Dancing! (1985)
That's Entertainment! (1974)
That's Entertainment! III (1994)
That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
Wagner's Dream (2012)
(Side note: very annoying that the 2 searches alphabetize differently. Something about foreign films, and/or alternate titles in general.)
So, I suspect that the quantitative difference you mentioned in the root post is that "movie" includes "documentary", and "feature" does not.
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