Slight tidy on bad queries.

2 files changed, 8 insertions, 28 deletions

diff --git a/app/controllers/general_controller.rb b/app/controllers/general_controller.rb
index 013276984..5c1f9590a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/general_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/general_controller.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2008 UK Citizens Online Democracy. All rights reserved.
 # Email: francis@mysociety.org; WWW: http://www.mysociety.org/
 #
-# $Id: general_controller.rb,v 1.55 2009-09-09 23:52:05 francis Exp $
+# $Id: general_controller.rb,v 1.56 2009-10-02 23:44:45 francis Exp $
 
 require 'xmlsimple'
 require 'open-uri'
@@ -103,7 +103,13 @@ class GeneralController < ApplicationController
             # Parse query, so can work out if it has prefix terms only - if so then it is a
             # structured query which should show newest first, rather than a free text search
             # where we want most relevant as default.
-            dummy_query = ::ActsAsXapian::Search.new([InfoRequestEvent], @query, :limit => 1)
+            begin
+                dummy_query = ::ActsAsXapian::Search.new([InfoRequestEvent], @query, :limit => 1)
+            rescue => e
+                flash[:error] = "Your query was not quite right. " + CGI.escapeHTML(e.to_str)
+                redirect_to search_url("")
+                return
+            end
             if dummy_query.has_normal_search_terms?
                 @sortby = 'relevant'
             else
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index d6fd81491..682a07842 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -45,12 +45,6 @@ alerts to requester.
 Offer user_withdrawn as option in many GUI?
 
 
-Change text so that overdue covers qualified exemption of public interest test being
-valid reason for delay.
-
-Allow for deadline extension for schools.
-
-
 Put the request from address in the database, 
     XXX not so sure about that, as need fuzzy rule for matching/guessing according to type
 then change the rule for making it.
@@ -219,9 +213,6 @@ CSS / design things
     - Get Atom feed of search results to include stylesheet for highlighting words in
       yellow somehow
 
-Would be nice if you try and send or resend from admin interface and address is
-set to not_apply, defunct or "" that it deals with it better :) 
-
 When doing search, people often just want it to show the whole page. Perhaps
 all listing should just link to top of page, rather than # links for outgoing
 incoming, or perhaps just some of them.
@@ -230,23 +221,10 @@ Help page improvements:
     Needs to say somewhere in flow that you can make a request privately (I think quite a 
        few people get to us via Google and don't realise that they can)
     Add "Who should I make my request to?" - make flow better after first section, to abrupt now
-    I think the advice in this annotation could go into a nice comment:
-      http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/berr_response_to_eu_on_phorm_bt#comment-356
     Some more traditional help such as:
         * Information about how to track requests and RSS feeds 
         * Information about how to contacting other users
 
-Link the overdue date to an explanation of what bank holidays it skipped etc.
-:)
-
-Should probably remove the weekend rule, and be sterner with authorities about
-what "received" means. See thread about staff_numbers_and_costs on team@ ad
-these two requests:
-    http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/staff_numbers_and_costs
-    http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/policy_regarding_body_scans#incoming-1100
-Remember to update help:
-    http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about/#days
-
 Show similar requests after you have filed yours - maybe on preview too.
 
 Test code for FOI officer upload
@@ -268,10 +246,6 @@ together when request and response mention same term)
 
 Something to check which tags are used but aren't in PublicBody category lists
 
-Catch query parser error, e.g. for this query
-    water NOT NEAR "water lane"
-Document such errors in acts_as_xapian
-
 Compress the emails in the database
 Don't store the cached text in backups