SEARCH API: TIPS AND TRICKS - FROM BEGINNING TO CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
0 likes621 views
I'm planning to introduce developers with Search API system during the presentation : - What is Search API and how to deal with it; - Overview of the most used search backends for Search API; - What is the difference between Drupal 7 and 8 Search API; - Faceted and fulltext search and how to use it; - Tips and tricks regarding customization and extending of Search API / Faceted search. Level: from Beginners to Middle+
Ad
More Related Content
What's hot (20)
Similar to SEARCH API: TIPS AND TRICKS - FROM BEGINNING TO CUSTOM SOLUTIONS (20)
Ad
More from DrupalCamp Kyiv (20)
Ad
Recently uploaded (20)
SEARCH API: TIPS AND TRICKS - FROM BEGINNING TO CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
- 1. Search API: tips and tricks - from beginning to custom solutions Oleg Bogut Drupal developer at AnyforSoft
- 2. 9+ years with Drupal Drupal Senior/Lead developer I'm giving Drupal lections in the University Some words about me
- 3. And we will talk about Search in Drupal Search API Search backends Facets Custom extensions for Search API, and other stuff
- 4. In the beginning client says... Convenient Flexible Fast Better than others - I want to have a search on my site. It should be:
- 5. Looks easy Uninstall Core Search Install Search API Select and setup search backend Setup Search API server and indexes Setup search pages, views and facets (if needed)
- 6. Uninstall Core Search Why? It’s already in core... Not flexible Not usable It should be killed firstly
- 7. Install Search API and others Use composer: composer require 'drupal/search_api:1.x-dev' composer require 'drupal/facets:1.x-dev' composer require 'drupal/search_api_page:1.x-dev' and do the basic setup
- 8. Install Search API and others Why not manually install? Using composer is a Drupal8-way solution It allows us to manage dependencies Easier updates and maintaining
- 9. Search architecture Search backend Search API Server Index Index Fields Fields Content Nodes Taxonomy Users Paragraphs Processors Processors UI Users Views (blocks / pages) FacetsSearch Pages
- 10. Select search backend: Database Search Search API Solr Search required Elasticsearch Connector required
- 11. Search API Database search backend Good solution for small and simple sites Fastest and easiest setup Simplest maintaining Already available (out of the box)
- 12. Apache SOLR search backend Full-text search Faceted search NoSQL features Dynamic clustering
- 13. Elastic search backend Distributed search Highlighting support Wildcard search Analytical search
- 14. A lot of alternatives How to take a proper solution? What can be a criteria? Scared scared scared
- 15. Setup search server and indexes Just setup the Search Server and Search Index (one or multiple) using your search backend integration
- 16. Search server setup Using DB Search
- 17. Search index fields setup
- 18. ...and search processors setup
- 19. Indexing
- 21. ...and we have a search on site
- 22. Setup the facet and facet source Facet source can be a Views item, Search Page, or custom solution Facet should be based on already indexed field
- 23. Setup facet widget and block And a lot of other options are available in the facet configuration
- 24. ...and we have a faceted search Facets allows to filter search results by the selected values. Facet items can be configured for multiple choising with OR / AND logic
- 25. Simple and powerful thing Your feelings, when you have set up the search from scratch and it works
- 26. But when you need to extend something... … you will see that all things looks unclear at first view So, let’s do a little research
- 27. Explore the Search API plugins structure Search API plugins Backends Datasources Processors Data types Displays Parse modes Trackers https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/modules/search-api/developer-documentation/ available-plugin-types
- 28. Search API plugin definition (Processor) Plugin manager plugin.manager.search_api.processor Definitions namespace Drupalsearch_apiProcessor Plugins namespace DrupalMODULEPluginsearch_apiprocessor Annotation @SearchApiProcessor
- 29. Let’s check, how it’s made Let’s create custom Search API field, which will calculate the duration of Event using begin / end date fields in the Event node
- 30. Define Search API processor
- 32. Implements Index supporting logic
- 34. Setup field value logic
- 35. Setup extended index options
- 36. Example of using: Views
- 37. Example of using: Views output
- 38. Why and when we need to customize? When we don’t have this feature in contribs When we need some performance tweaks
- 39. Customization vs contrib solutions Wow! I can create a search using Search API UI and contribs Wow! I can create my own services for Search API I know, how to create complex solutions using contribs and custom code (without any “wow” reactions).
- 40. How to don’t reinvent the wheel? Check for solutions from contrib modules Check it twice! Try to extend instead of create it from scratch Re-use contrib code in custom solutions Keep It Simple!
- 41. Some performance tweaks Use Search API Fast for better performance of indexing Exclude unpublished content from index Do not use DB search backend, if you have too many entities Use caching best practices Using Ajax / async loading can be a good trick
- 42. So, if you will follow the best practices...