Any package for boolean search?

Any package for boolean search?

[Jean Louis]

Hello to all,

Boolean Search: This is a method where search terms are combined using
boolean logic, as described by the operators AND, OR, and NOT.

I would like to implement this classic into the website search. And I
wish to keep it simple.

Here are 20 different queries using boolean search operators AND, OR, and NOT:

1. `apple AND fruit`
2. `car OR truck`
3. `not google`
4. `(apple OR banana) AND fruit`
5. `football NOT soccer`
6. `book AND author`
7. `(dog OR cat) NOT animal`
8. `house AND (furniture OR decor)`
9. `google AND (search OR engine)`
10. `not (car OR truck)`
11. `(phone OR laptop) AND technology`
12. `flower AND (garden OR plant)`
13. `(music OR video) NOT entertainment`
14. `amazon AND (shopping OR online)`
15. `not (phone OR computer)`
16. `(camera OR photo) AND equipment`
17. `travel AND (hotel OR resort)`
18. `(newspaper OR magazine) NOT media`
19. `(game OR puzzle) AND entertainment`
20. `(coffee OR tea) AND (breakfast OR morning)`

I think if there are no parenthesis I should even disregard the OR, is
it right?

I wish there would be some ready made package that handles those
issues.


Jean Louis

RE: [External] : Any package for boolean search?

[Drew Adams]

> Boolean Search: This is a method where search terms are combined using
> boolean logic, as described by the operators AND, OR, and NOT.
> 
> I would like to implement this classic into the website search. And I
> wish to keep it simple.

I can't help you wrt website searches etc.  Hopefully
someone else will.
___

But FWIW, Isearch+ provides such functionality, on
the fly, for incremental buffer/file searching.

https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/DynamicIsearchFiltering

Re: [External] : Any package for boolean search?

[Jean Louis]

* Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> [2024-12-25 19:21]:
> > Boolean Search: This is a method where search terms are combined using
> > boolean logic, as described by the operators AND, OR, and NOT.
> > 
> > I would like to implement this classic into the website search. And I
> > wish to keep it simple.
> 
> I can't help you wrt website searches etc.  Hopefully
> someone else will.

I need more time, as I spend time in research. I think hashes are not
easiest way to go, so I will do this way:

1. Make a simple list of strings; 

2. Concatenate id, name, description, summary or full text without 
markup to single line;

3. Search lines;

4. Extract ID

5. Load nicely prepared name, description, image from hash

6. Display on the website.

We will see how fast it works.

> But FWIW, Isearch+ provides such functionality, on
> the fly, for incremental buffer/file searching.
> 
> https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/DynamicIsearchFiltering

-- 
Jean Louis

Re: Any package for boolean search?

[Joel Reicher]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> Boolean Search: This is a method where search terms are combined 
> using boolean logic, as described by the operators AND, OR, and 
> NOT.
>
> I would like to implement this classic into the website 
> search. And I wish to keep it simple.

Is there an Emacs or elisp aspect to this question I might be 
missing?

Are you after a package to submit a search to a particular search 
engine? Is that what you mean?

(There are a few such packages on melpa; I don't know how they 
compare.)

Regards,

        - Joel

Re: Any package for boolean search?

[Jean Louis]

* Joel Reicher <joel.reicher@gmail.com> [2024-12-26 09:03]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > Boolean Search: This is a method where search terms are combined using
> > boolean logic, as described by the operators AND, OR, and NOT.
> > 
> > I would like to implement this classic into the website search. And I
> > wish to keep it simple.
> 
> Is there an Emacs or elisp aspect to this question I might be
> missing?

I don't know what you mean. I am looking for some ready package that
provides maybe string searching within other strings, by using boolean
operators.

I am starting the logic here below:

(defun wrs-search-query-process (query)
  (let ((query (wrs-search-clean-query query)))
    (cond
     ;; dispatch if there is no boolean
     ((not (string-match-p (rx word-start (or "OR" "NOT" "AND" word-end)) query))
      (wrs-search-query query))
     
     ;; dispatch when there is AND but not OR or NOT
     ((and (string-match-p (rx word-start "AND" word-end) query)
	   (not (string-match-p (rx word-start (or "OR" "NOT" word-end)) query)))
      (wrs-search-query-and query)))))

So there will be different ways how to process those parts of the
query separated by AND, OR, NOT and in various combinations.

> Are you after a package to submit a search to a particular search
> engine? Is that what you mean?

No. 

It is website search, when user enters some terms to get list of
website pages. I don't have many, but 1300+ in single website has some
key information for people.

-- 
Jean Louis

Re: Any package for boolean search?

[Jean Louis]

* Joel Reicher <joel.reicher@gmail.com> [2024-12-26 09:03]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > Boolean Search: This is a method where search terms are combined using
> > boolean logic, as described by the operators AND, OR, and NOT.
> > 
> > I would like to implement this classic into the website search. And I
> > wish to keep it simple.
> 
> Is there an Emacs or elisp aspect to this question I might be missing?

Did you mean if it is in the context of Emacs Lisp? Of course, that is
why I am looking if there is any available package.

Maybe I should index all packages and summarize them to get database
of what is available.

package-list is not enough descriptive.

-- 
Jean Louis

Re: Any package for boolean search?

[Joel Reicher]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> * Joel Reicher <joel.reicher@gmail.com> [2024-12-26 09:03]:

[...]

>> Is there an Emacs or elisp aspect to this question I might be 
>> missing?
>
> I don't know what you mean. I am looking for some ready package 
> that provides maybe string searching within other strings, by 
> using boolean operators.

Why are you expecting this to be a package? Strings are a 
native/primitive elisp datatype.

(info "(elisp) Text Comparison")

and also string-match at (info "(elisp) Regexp Search")

Regards,

        - Joel

Re: Any package for boolean search?

[Jean Louis]

* Joel Reicher <joel.reicher@gmail.com> [2024-12-27 02:16]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > * Joel Reicher <joel.reicher@gmail.com> [2024-12-26 09:03]:
> 
> [...]
> 
> > > Is there an Emacs or elisp aspect to this question I might be
> > > missing?
> > 
> > I don't know what you mean. I am looking for some ready package that
> > provides maybe string searching within other strings, by using boolean
> > operators.
> 
> Why are you expecting this to be a package? Strings are a native/primitive
> elisp datatype.

Thanks, though, I do not expect, I am asking if someone knows about
it. Those AND, OR, NOT are pretty classic, not so?

> (info "(elisp) Text Comparison")

I can't find there anything related, sure as basic functions is very
useful, but doesn't parse the query.

- cat dog -- I would use this with AND automatically; but maybe add OR
  on the end of results;

- cat and dog -- this is ONLY AND, without OR results

- cat dog OR giraffe in Africa -- here I would parse it as:
                 
     - cat AND dog -- is it there?
     - but it can be also "giraffe AND Africa" 

There are too many combinations and I have to make it so that I can
first parse the query into smaller pieces.

Then this query is dispatched to more basic functions.

> and also string-match at (info "(elisp) Regexp Search")

Sure! Thanks much. I am using those functions and it is useful let's
say, if I need to search with "OR" some few words.

But what if there are complex queries:

cat plays with dog OR dog plays with dogs NOT giraffe

or maybe this way:

(cat plays with dog) OR (dog plays with dogs) NOT giraffe

Then I have to parse it, separate it:

- NOT giraffe
- is there any result for cat? But no giraffe
- or any result for dog? But no giraffe

I hope you understand the meaning by that example.

It is called Boolean query parser, but when I started this question I
did not know the title. Now I know it.

Here is example in PHP

skipperbent/pecee-boolean-query-parser: Convert a boolean search query into a query that is compatible with a fulltext search.
https://github.com/skipperbent/pecee-boolean-query-parser

As there is apparently no such ready package in Emacs, then I will go
slow and start with functional examples:

1. For any query, find all occurences matching exactly; for query "cat
   plays" it will find "Cat plays with ball"

2. Parse words and find all occurences matching same words but with
   AND: for query "cat plays" it will also find "Cat likes doggy which
   plays with the ball"

Then I can think from there how to develop OR and NOT.

-- 
Jean Louis