# Using ferret as a base64-encoded numerical db **URL:** \ **Category:** Ferret\ **Created:** [July 6, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ferret-as-a-base64-encoded-numerical-db/171606 "2009-07-06T16:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kelly\_J](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Kelly\_J](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kelly_J)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ferret-as-a-base64-encoded-numerical-db/171606/1 "2009-07-06T16:16:22Z")
I’m using ferret to store random base64 strings of length 72 (courtesy “dd if=/dev/random … | mmencode”), with the long-term goal of storing floating point/integral numbers (converted to base64). Problems: % Ferret regards the base64 characters “+” and “/” as word separators, so a search for “content:[xji xjj]” yields things like “FqWu9uXM99HXZEJMl0Ux/jdOSP0+XJiL9v1ZDK24D0LMp60PUMPdhkbnFQykVMfilxecQFU6” where “xji” appears after a plus sign. How to avoid this? I could change “+” to “\_”, but I’m not sure changing “/” to “.” or “:” or “-” or “!” would work. % Ferret’s default search is case-insensitive, so I get things like “xJiQf0PEagWJME9Tf5pFu6dk4UGGFw5Lc0PIfa9N70Mb2IG2IWO36VCsC0y7Q1zOrLjk2Lz4”, which match “xJi” but not “xji”. How to fix? % When I do a range query, does ferret return _all_ documents matching the query or only the highest scoring 10? For my purposes, I need _all_ documents matching a query, not just the first few. Is anyone else using ferret as a db? Since it’s hash-based, it’s much faster at indexing large numbers of strings than sqlite3. I realize I could just 0-pad my numbers (eg, “000005” for 5), but I’ve got a LOT of data (400M pairs of floating point numbers), so I prefer compactness. – We’re just a Bunch Of Regular Guys, a collective group that’s trying to understand and assimilate technology. We feel that resistance to new ideas and technology is unwise and ultimately futile.