Taisen Search – Software Development Documentation

Prepared by: Nathaniel Don Joseph I. De Guzman

Role: Project Lead

Date: September 25, 2025

Documentation Version: 1.9

Introduction

Purpose: This document provides a detailed account of the development, improvements, and version history of Taisen Search. It serves as a reference for stakeholders, developers, and future maintainers.

Scope: Taisen Search is a search platform combining internal resources (Taisen Labs) and external results via Google Custom Search Engine (CSE), focusing on usability, modern design, internal research functionality, security, and user-configurable settings.

Audience: Project stakeholders, development team, QA testers, future maintainers.

Versioning Overview

Version	Release Date	Description
1.0	TBD	Initial release with basic search and Google CSE integration.
1.1	TBD	UI/UX enhancements: aligned search bar, card-based results, modal popups.
1.2	TBD	Labs toggle feature: show/hide internal results, improved filtering.
1.3	TBD	Design & accessibility improvements: responsive layout, shadows, truncation, modal optimization.
1.4	TBD	Advanced search features: full-text modals, card “Open in New Tab”, error handling.
1.5	TBD	Background & doodle enhancements: animated backgrounds without performance loss.
1.6	TBD	Functional improvements: input validation, bug fixes, modal optimization, faster load times.
1.7	Planned	Future enhancements: internal search algorithms, personalization, advanced filters, analytics, multi-language support.
1.8	TBD	Captcha verification flow added and debug dashboard integrated.
1.9	September 25, 2025	User-configurable Settings added: Theme Selection: Light/Dark mode applied immediately. Language & Region: saved and restored from localStorage. SafeSearch Toggle: stored preference for search filtering. Privacy Mode Toggle: stored preference (IP masking/logging placeholder). Save Settings button: saves to localStorage and redirects to main page. Settings persist across page reloads. Mobile and desktop compatibility for settings UI.

Detailed Version Improvements

Version 1.0 – Initial Release

Basic search functionality using Google CSE.
Placeholder for internal Taisen Labs resources.
Responsive layout for desktop and mobile.

Version 1.1 – User Interface Enhancements

Aligned search button with search bar.
Card-based layout for results.
Truncated text in cards; modal popups for full content.
Taisen branding applied to search UI.

Version 1.2 – Internal Labs Toggle & Filtering

Toggle button to show/hide internal Labs results.
Labs results hidden when toggle is off and restored when on.
Separate filtering for internal vs external results.

Version 1.3 – Design & Accessibility Improvements

Mobile and tablet responsiveness optimized.
Card shadows and rounded corners for modern aesthetics.
Full modal content display without overflow.
Visual hierarchy improved: title, description, URL differentiation.
Accessibility meta tags and ARIA-friendly markup added.

Version 1.4 – Advanced Search & UX Features

Combined internal Labs and external Google CSE results.
Card “Open in New Tab” feature.
Smooth card hover and modal animations.
Empty results clearly indicated with a message.

Version 1.5 – Background & Doodle Enhancements

Animated doodle GIF background integrated.
Maintains performance and responsiveness.
Minor UI adjustments to prevent clutter.

Version 1.6 – Additional Functional Improvements

Input validation enhanced.
Optimized modal and card loading performance.
Bug fixes: alignment issues, overlapping text.
Mobile responsiveness further improved.

Version 1.7 – Planned Enhancements

Implement internal search algorithms independent of Google CSE.
Personalized search results based on user behavior.
Advanced filtering for Labs articles.
Analytics for tracking search trends and user engagement.
Multi-language interface support.

Version 1.8 – Captcha & Debug Dashboard Integration

Added Captcha verification step before search results are displayed.
Debug dashboard with the following features:
- App & Environment Info: version/build, environment, feature flags.
- Network & API Debugging: API endpoints, status codes, response times (no user data).
- Console & Logs: internal messages, warnings/errors, filterable by type.
- Performance Metrics: page load, API latency, memory/CPU usage placeholders.
- State & UI Debugging: component state placeholders, DOM structure, CSS variables inspection.
- Testing Tools: trigger dummy searches, toggle debug mode.
- Export & Reset: download logs without user data, reset app state for testing.
Redirect flow:
1. User enters a query.
2. Redirected to Captcha verification page.
3. On success, redirected back to results with query preserved.
Improves bot protection and reduces spam queries.
Designed for minimal disruption to user experience.

Version 1.9 – User Settings Integration

Settings page added with:
- Theme selection: Light / Dark mode (applied immediately).
- Language & Region selection (saved in localStorage).
- SafeSearch toggle (preference stored).
- Privacy Mode toggle (preference stored, placeholder functionality).
Save Settings button stores all values in localStorage and redirects to main page.
Settings persist across page reloads.
Mobile-friendly layout for all devices.
Fully compatible with existing debug dashboard and captcha features.

Features Summary (v1.9)

UI & UX: Modern, responsive settings panel with mobile optimization.
Functional Settings: Theme, language, region, SafeSearch, privacy mode saved in localStorage and applied where applicable.
Navigation: Save Settings button redirects to main page.
Persistence: All settings restored on page load.
Debug & Testing: Works alongside debug dashboard (v1.8).

Future Roadmap

Apply SafeSearch and Privacy Mode settings actively in search results.
Enhance multi-language support across UI and results.
Integrate user preferences with internal Labs filtering.
Analytics for user settings usage and behavior.

Conclusion

Taisen Search continues evolving into a modern, user-friendly platform with both functional search improvements and user-configurable settings. The addition of v1.9 makes the search experience more personalized and adaptable for both desktop and mobile users.