Index: openacs-4/packages/tsearch2-driver/tcl/tsearch2-driver-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/tsearch2-driver/tcl/tsearch2-driver-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -N -r1.29 -r1.30
--- openacs-4/packages/tsearch2-driver/tcl/tsearch2-driver-procs.tcl	30 Mar 2013 18:19:48 -0000	1.29
+++ openacs-4/packages/tsearch2-driver/tcl/tsearch2-driver-procs.tcl	27 Oct 2014 16:42:00 -0000	1.30
@@ -252,21 +252,31 @@
     regsub -all {[^-/@.\d\w\s\(\)]+} $query { } query
 
     # match parens, if they don't match just throw them away
-    set p 0
-    for {set i 0} {$i < [string length $query]} {incr i} {
-        if {[string index $query $i] eq "("} {
-            incr p
-        }
-        if {[string index $query $i] eq ")"} {
-            incr p -1
-        }
-    }
-    if {$p != 0} {
-        regsub -all {\(|\)} $query {} query
-    }
+    # set p 0
+    # for {set i 0} {$i < [string length $query]} {incr i} {
+    #     if {[string index $query $i] eq "("} {
+    #         incr p
+    #     }
+    #     if {[string index $query $i] eq ")"} {
+    #         incr p -1
+    #     }
+    # }
+    # if {$p != 0} {
+    #     regsub -all {\(|\)} $query {} query
+    # }
 
-    # remove or at beginning of query 
+    # remove all parens
+    regsub -all {\(|\)} $query {} query
+
+    # remove empty ()
+    regsub -all {\(\s*\)} $query {} query
+
+    # remove "or" at beginning of query 
     regsub -nocase "^or " $query {} query
+
+    # remove "not" at end of query 
+    regsub -nocase " not$" $query {} query
+
     # replace boolean words with boolean operators
     regsub -nocase "^not " $query {!} query
     set query [string map {" and " " & " " or " " | " " not " " ! "} " $query "]
@@ -322,8 +332,9 @@
     set end_q 0
     set valid_operators [tsearch2_driver::valid_operators]
     foreach e [split $query] {
-        if {[regexp {(^\w*):} $e discard operator] \
-                && [lsearch -exact $valid_operators $operator] != -1} {
+        if {[regexp {(^\w*):} $e discard operator]
+	    && $operator in $valid_operators
+        } {
             # query element contains an operator, split operator from
             # query fragment
             set e [split $e ":"]
@@ -363,7 +374,10 @@
         ns_log debug "operator(e)='${e}' start_q=$start_q end_q=$end_q"
         if {$last_operator ne ""} {
             # FIXME need introspection for operator phrase support
-            if {($last_operator eq "title:" || $last_operator eq "description:") && ($start_q || $end_q)} {
+            if {
+		($last_operator eq "title:" || $last_operator eq "description:") 
+		&& ($start_q || $end_q)
+	    } {
                 lappend ${last_operator}_phrase [regsub -all {\"} $e {}]
             } else {
                 lappend $last_operator [regsub -all {\"} ${e} {}]
@@ -378,7 +392,7 @@
     }
 
     foreach op $valid_operators {
-        if {[exists_and_not_null $op]} {
+        if {([info exists $op] && [set $op] ne "")} {
             lappend operators $op $title
         }
     }