Overview

QuikData uses dtSearch as its full-text indexing and search engine. When documents are loaded into a review room, dtSearch indexes their content so reviewers can run keyword and phrase searches across the document set.

How dtSearch indexes content is controlled by three configuration files that are automatically generated when a room is created. These files live on the file server — they are not exposed in the QuikData application interface. This article explains what each file does and how to modify them when needed.

Configuration Files

When a new room is created, QuikData generates three dtSearch configuration files and stores them in a dedicated dtSearch folder within that room's directory on the file server:

noise.dat — Stop Words

The noise.dat file defines the stop word list — common words that dtSearch skips entirely during indexing because they are too frequent to be useful in search results. Stop words cannot be searched in full-text search, even if they appear in document content.

When a phrase contains a stop word, dtSearch skips over it. For example, searching for "statue of liberty" retrieves documents containing "statue", any intervening word, and "liberty" — because "of" is a stop word.

Default Stop Words

default.abc — Alphabet and Character Rules

The default.abc file defines how dtSearch treats individual characters during indexing. This determines what counts as part of a word, what separates words, and what gets stripped out entirely.

filetype.xml — File Type Parsing Rules

The filetype.xml file controls how dtSearch handles specific file formats during indexing. Each entry specifies whether dtSearch uses a built-in parser, an IFilter, or bypasses processing for that file type.

Modifying dtSearch Configuration Files

Configuration changes — such as adding or removing stop words, adjusting character rules, or enabling a file type parser — must be made by editing the relevant file directly on the file server. After any changes, the affected documents must be reindexed for the new configuration to take effect.

For SaaS Clients

SaaS clients do not have direct access to the file server. To request a dtSearch configuration change:

• Contact your QuikData Project Manager, or
• Email support@quikdata.com with details of the change needed and which room(s) are affected

For On-Premises Clients

On-premises clients manage their own file servers. A site admin with file server access can edit the configuration files directly.

Reindexing After Configuration Changes

Changes to dtSearch configuration files only take effect after the affected documents are reindexed. To reindex a room:

Notes

• Configuration files are generated automatically at room creation using QuikData defaults. If your organization requires a custom configuration applied to all new rooms, contact your QuikData Project Manager.
• These files are not versioned or backed up automatically. Keep a record of any customizations made, including which room and what was changed.
• For a complete reference on how the dtSearch index affects search behavior — including noise words, wildcards, and alphabet customization — see the Full Text Search Syntax article.