How can special characters and filler words be handled in a PHP search algorithm to improve relevance?

Special characters and filler words can be handled in a PHP search algorithm by removing them before processing the search query. This can improve relevance by focusing on the essential keywords in the search query. One approach is to create a list of common filler words and special characters to remove, and then use PHP functions like `preg_replace` to strip them out from the search query. 

// Define a list of common filler words and special characters to remove
$fillerWords = array("the", "and", "or", "is", "was", "!", "@", "#", "$", "%", "&");

// Remove filler words and special characters from the search query
$searchQuery = preg_replace('/\b(' . implode('|', $fillerWords) . ')\b/i', '', $searchQuery);
$searchQuery = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9\s]/', '', $searchQuery);

// Process the sanitized search query
// Your search algorithm implementation goes here

Keywords

Special characters filler words PHP search algorithm relevance handling.

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