Chapter 21

Full-Text Search Services

Storing large amounts of text in a database is becoming more common. When Microsoft introduced the MAX option for character datatypes as a replacement for the text datatype, they also significantly simplified the process of storing and retrieving large volumes of text data in a database. The challenge now is dealing with all of that data. As the amount of data grows, the data becomes more cumbersome.

SQL Server Full-Text services provide the ability to work with large text-based data blocks more easily and efficiently. These services include special indexes that allow more efficient access to data within large blocks of text, as well as query structures and keywords that you can use to take advantage of the indexes. Together, they provide a much more robust vehicle for working with text data than can be provided with standard indexes and queries.