[development] Request for Comments: Search.inc

[Doug Green]

I invite you to join the search group on g.d.o and make this proposal there:

http://groups.drupal.org/node/4102

Please also read all of the blog entries on search that came out of the
MINNESOTA SEARCH SPRINT:

http://drupal.org/search/node/MINNESOTA+SEARCH+SPRINT
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=MINNESOTA+SEARCH+SPRINT&btnG=Google+Search

I hope that you help us with this.  We have two visions.  We'd like to
make it possible to extend/separate the indexing and/or extend/separate
the UI.   Earnest Berry started on separating the UI, but AFAIK nobody
has started work on separating the indexing.

Thanks!
Doug

Michael Haggerty wrote:
> I am writing to request comments on a proposed modification to Drupal
> core.
>
> Proposal: move the core search functionality in Drupal into an include
> file which can be specified on a per site basis. The actual functions
> used to return search results would not change, this proposed
> modification would simply put them all in a file which can be
> specified within settings.php.
>
> There are a number of reasons to consider doing this:
>
> 1) The flexibility to specify different search components would
> resolve some potential design deficiencies in the platform as it
> stands now. We have been doing some work integrating the Xapian search
> engine with Drupal. Instead of storing indexed results in the Drupal
> database, we are putting indexed content in Xapian instead. To get
> this to work properly, we have needed to patch core, which represents
> a deficiency both in terms of installation and long term maintenance
> of sites. Modifications to core mean people are working with unique
> distributions of Drupal instead of a common distribution, which are
> more complex to support.
>
> 2) This change would not differ significantly from design patterns
> currently in place within the framework. Other core components have
> already adopted this approach. An alternate cache.inc file can be
> specified within settings.php and is used by Robert Douglas' memcache
> module. Settings.php has had the ability to override system settings
> for a long time.
>
> 3) In some high traffic scenarios, database throughput becomes a
> bottleneck to the point where Drupal's current search features become
> unusable in the context in which they are deployed. Providing the
> flexibility to specify the underlying search components used for
> Drupal will provide system architects with additional options for
> scaling Drupal sites without losing characteristic features of the
> platform. In the case of Xapian, all database traffic related to
> search features are offloaded into an external database, which could
> represent significant gains in Drupal database throughput.
>
> 4) Open source search engines are becoming increasingly sophisticated,
> and there are a number of emerging systems coming of age which
> developers may want to integrate in the future. Developers are often
> loathe to want to hack core, for reasons ranging from inexperience to
> lack of support for core modifications within the Drupal community.
> Being able to modify the underlying search components without the need
> for a core patch greatly simplifies the process of integration and
> likely increases the likelihood developers will want to attempt
> integration projects.
>
> 5) Search remains an important component of any Web site. One of the
> great strengths of Drupal is the ability to provide an integrated set
> of tools for managing content. The most significant benefit to
> adopting this approach could be the ability to expand the range of
> options available to implementers at the time a site is being built.
> Providing numerous search engine configuration options with relative
> benefits and drawbacks increases the strength of the platform.
>
> Best Regards,
> Michael Haggerty
> _______________________________________________
>
> Michael Haggerty | Managing Partner | Trellon, LLC
>
> web www.trellon.com | email mhaggerty at trellon.com
> tel 240 643 6561 | aim haggerty321
>
>


-- 
Doug Green
douggreen at douggreenconsulting.com
904-583-3342

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