solr terms: boosting and dismax?

Question

Currently I am learning how SOLR works.

Words I usually see are boosting and dismax request handler. What do they mean?

I have googled it but found the explanations difficult to understand.

I also read that the dismax handler could search multiple document fields. What does that mean? Doesn't the standard search handler search in multiple fields when I'm querying?

Answer 1

Please take a look at the Solr relevancy FAQ:

• Should I use the standard or dismax request handler?
• How are documents scored
• How can I increase the score for specific documents