diff --git a/distfiles/search.php b/distfiles/search.php
index 0b9e9cb..d179cbe 100644
--- a/distfiles/search.php
+++ b/distfiles/search.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ $srchpname=$_REQUEST['srchpname'] ?? NULL;
 $srchploc=$_REQUEST['srchploc'] ?? NULL;
 $srchnha=$_REQUEST['srchnha'] ?? NULL;
 $srchrepord=$_REQUEST['srchrepord'] ?? NULL;
-$srchflags=$_REQUEST['srchflags'] ?? NULL;
+$srchflags=$_POST['srchflags'] ?? [];
 $target=$_REQUEST['target'] ?? NULL;
 
 $doparts=PARTS_FUNCTIONS;
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ framework("begin","$logname Search","Search",$print);
 //var_dump($_REQUEST);
 
 // ******** begin database manipulation ********
+
+// define the arrays
+$logfromtables=[];
+$mffromtables=[];
+$pfromtables=[];
+$logconstraints=[];
+$mfconstraints=[];
+$pconstraints=[];
+
 // get the date range of lognotes
 $logdateqry=mysqli_query($db,"select min(date), max(date) from lognotes");
 $logdateresults=mysqli_fetch_row($logdateqry);
@@ -75,8 +84,6 @@ if ($mfmaxdate == "") $mfmaxdate = $today;
 $mindate=min($logmindate, $mfmindate);
 $maxdate=max($logmaxdate, $mfmaxdate);
 
-
-
 if ($search) {
     // strip whitespace from beginning and end of text fields
     $srchtext=trim($srchtext);
@@ -122,8 +129,9 @@ if ($search) {
             $logfromtables[]="lognotes";
             $logconstraints[]="lognotes.lognote like \"%$srchtext%\"";
         }
+        // fixme
         // flags
-        if ($srchflags != NULL) {
+        if (!empty($srchflags)) {
             foreach ($srchflags as $flagtblnum) {
                 $flagtblname="flag_{$flagtblnum}";
                 $logfromtables[]="lognotes";
@@ -231,6 +239,7 @@ if ($search) {
             $mffromtables[]="maintactions";
             $mfconstraints[]="maintforms.mfmalfunction like \"%$srchtext%\" or (maintactions.action like \"%$srchtext%\" and maintforms.maintformid=maintactions.maintformnum)";
         }
+        // fixme
         // flags
         foreach ($srchflags as $flagtblnum) {
             $flagtblname="flag_{$flagtblnum}";
@@ -463,27 +472,37 @@ if (!$print) {
     <br><br>
     <b>Flags:</b>
     ";
-    $flagslist=mysqli_query($db,"select * from flags");
-    $flagsperline=8;
-    $flagcount=1;
-    while ($flagcheckbox=mysqli_fetch_assoc($flagslist)) {
-        if ($srchflags[0]=="") $srchflags=[];
-        if (in_array($flagcheckbox["flagid"],$srchflags)) {
-            printf("<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"srchflags[]\" value=\"%s\" checked title=\"When checked, only results with this flag set will be shown\"><font color=\"%s\" title=\"%s\">%s</font>",
-            $flagcheckbox["flagid"],$flagcheckbox["flagcolor"],$flagcheckbox["flagname"],$flagcheckbox["flagsym"]);
+    $flagslist = mysqli_query($db, "select * from flags");
+    $flagsperline = 8;
+    $flagcount = 1;
+    while ($flagcheckbox = mysqli_fetch_assoc($flagslist)) {
+        if ($srchflags[0] == "") $srchflags = [];
+        if (in_array($flagcheckbox["flagid"], $srchflags)) {
+            printf(
+                "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"srchflags[]\" value=\"%s\" checked title=\"When checked, only results with this flag set will be shown\"><font color=\"%s\" title=\"%s\">%s</font>",
+                $flagcheckbox["flagid"],
+                $flagcheckbox["flagcolor"],
+                $flagcheckbox["flagname"],
+                $flagcheckbox["flagsym"]
+            );
         } else {
-            $flagid=$flagcheckbox["flagid"];
-            if (mysqli_num_rows(mysqli_query($db,"select flagid from flags where flagid=\"$flagid\" and status=1"))) {
-                printf("<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"srchflags[]\" value=\"%s\" title=\"When checked, only results with this flag set will be shown\"><font color=\"%s\" title=\"%s\">%s</font>",
-                $flagcheckbox["flagid"],$flagcheckbox["flagcolor"],$flagcheckbox["flagname"],$flagcheckbox["flagsym"]);
+            $flagid = $flagcheckbox["flagid"];
+            if (mysqli_num_rows(mysqli_query($db, "select flagid from flags where flagid=\"$flagid\" and status=1"))) {
+                printf(
+                    "<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"srchflags[]\" value=\"%s\" title=\"When checked, only results with this flag set will be shown\"><font color=\"%s\" title=\"%s\">%s</font>",
+                    $flagcheckbox["flagid"],
+                    $flagcheckbox["flagcolor"],
+                    $flagcheckbox["flagname"],
+                    $flagcheckbox["flagsym"]
+                );
             }
         }
-        if ($flagcount<$flagsperline) {
+        if ($flagcount < $flagsperline) {
             echo "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
             $flagcount++;
         } else {
             echo "<br>";
-            $flagcount=1;
+            $flagcount = 1;
         }
     }
     echo "
@@ -656,20 +675,23 @@ if ($search) {
                 $logsubjname=dblookup($db,"subjects","subjectid","subjectname",$logtablerow['subject']);
                 // create links of urls in note
                 $logfmtnote=convertweblinks($logtablerow['lognote']);
+                
                 // generate the flags string
                 $flagstring="";
-                $allflagqry=mysqli_query($db,"select flagid from flags");
-                while ($allflagids=mysqli_fetch_row($allflagqry)) {
-                    $flagid=$allflagids[0];
-                    $flag_tbl="flag_".$flagid;
-                    if (mysqli_num_rows(mysqli_query($db,"select id from $flag_tbl where target=\"lognotes\" and id=\"$logtablerow[lognoteid]\""))) {
-                        $flagparam=mysqli_fetch_assoc(mysqli_query($db,"select * from flags where flagid=\"$flagid\""));
-                        $flagcolor=$flagparam["flagcolor"];
-                        $flagsym=$flagparam["flagsym"];
-                        $flagstring=$flagstring."<font color=\"$flagcolor\">$flagsym</font>&nbsp;&nbsp;";
-                    }
+                $flagqry=mysqli_query($db,"select flagid from flagmap where lognoteid=$logtablerow[lognoteid]");
+                while ($flagid=mysqli_fetch_row($flagqry)) {
+                    $flagparams=mysqli_fetch_assoc(mysqli_query($db,"select * from flags where flagid=\"$flagid[0]\""));
+                    $flagcolor=$flagparams["flagcolor"];
+                    $flagsym=$flagparams["flagsym"];
+                    $flagname=$flagparams["flagname"];
+                    $flagstring=$flagstring."<font color=\"$flagcolor\" title=\"$flagname\">$flagsym</font>&nbsp;&nbsp;";
                 }
-                if ($flagstring) $logfmtnote=$logfmtnote."<br>".$flagstring;
+                if ($flagstring) {
+                    $logfmtnote=$logfmtnote."<br>".$flagstring."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
+                } else { 
+                    $logfmtnote=$logfmtnote."<br>";
+                }
+                                
                 printf("<tr>
                 <td valign=\"top\"><a href=logentry.php?edit=1&noteid=%s>%s</a></td>
                 <td valign=\"top\">%s&nbsp;&#047;&nbsp;%s</td>