RE: [search-ws] Scan as a query type

["Matthew J. Dovey" <m.dovey@jisc.ac.uk>]

> > We would still need to somehow indicate to the server whether the
> > request is a normal search or an index scan.
> 
> I see no reason why.

If the request for a search on author has the same form as the request
for a scan on author, how does the server know that whether to do a
search on author or a scan on author

i) the request is sent to different databases - one modelling an index
(although as Ralph and I have pointed out how do you manage the
linkages)
ii) the requests are different operations (exact mechanism of indicating
operations to be determined)
iii) the request has a parameter (scan=True|False or similar)
iv) a scan versus search is indicated in the query somehow
 
> > iii) have a flag in the query itself (as per Ray's suggestion) to
> > indicate whether we are searching the full database or an index.
> 
> What in my proposed approach suggests that?

scan.index=dc.creator AND scan.term >= <term>

the use of the scan context set is the trigger/flag the server uses to
determine whether to run the query on the database or on the index.

Matthew