
OpenSearchServer is a powerful search engine that allows you to manage and configure your search experience with ease.
You can configure your search engine to index specific fields from your database, such as title, description, and keywords.
The search engine also allows you to set up filters, which enable users to narrow down their search results based on specific criteria.
By configuring your search engine correctly, you can improve the relevance and accuracy of search results, making it easier for users to find what they're looking for.
Getting Started
To get started with OpenSearchServer, you'll need to create a global handler, which will submit every request to your instance. This handler is the foundation of your interactions with the server.
Each API request is wrapped in a particular class, and you'll need to instanciate, configure, and then pass it to the $oss_api->submit() method, which will return an OpenSearchServer\Response object. This is a crucial step in setting up your server.
To create an index based on a template, you can use the "WEB_CRAWLER" template, which will automatically create a schema for crawling websites. This template is a great starting point for your projects.
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Quick Start
To get started with OpenSearchServer, you need to create a global handler, which will be used to submit every request to your instance. This handler is created by instantiating a particular class and then passing it to $oss_api->submit(), which will return an OpenSearchServer\Response object.
Each API request is wrapped in a specific class, and you must configure it before submitting it. You can create an index based on a template, such as "WEB_CRAWLER", which will automatically create a schema for crawling a website.
To create an index, you'll need to use the $oss_api->submit() method, passing in the configured class. This will return an OpenSearchServer\Response object, which you can use to verify the index was created successfully.
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Client Documentation
Client documentation is a crucial part of any project. It helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures that all parties understand their roles and responsibilities.
You'll need to provide your team with a detailed project plan, which should include a clear description of the project's goals and objectives. This plan should also outline the scope of work, timelines, and key milestones.
Make sure to include contact information for all team members and stakeholders in your client documentation. This will help facilitate communication and ensure that everyone knows who to reach out to with questions or concerns.
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Core Concepts
OpenSearchServer is built on top of the OpenSearch framework, allowing for seamless integration with other OpenSearch-compatible tools and plugins.
It supports distributed search, enabling users to scale their search functionality with ease.
One of the key benefits of OpenSearchServer is its ability to handle large volumes of data, making it an ideal solution for complex search applications.
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Open Source Engine with REST API and Crawlers
OpenSearchServer is an enterprise-class search engine software based on Lucene, running on Linux/Unix/BSD/Windows.
This powerful tool allows you to integrate advanced full-text search capabilities into your application using its web user interface, crawlers, and JSON webservice.
The crawlers in OpenSearchServer are capable of extracting data from various sources, including the internet, local and remote files, and databases.
Here's a breakdown of the available crawlers:
- The web crawler for internet, extranet, and intranet
- The file systems crawler for local and remote files (NFS, SMB/CIFS, FTP, FTPS, SWIFT)
- The database crawler for all JDBC databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, …)
With OpenSearchServer, you can also customize the crawling process using filter inclusion or exclusion with wildcards, remove session parameters, and support SQL join and linked files.
Configure Schema
In OpenSearchServer, each index must have a schema. A schema is a list of fields, each with some properties.
You can configure a schema by defining its fields and properties. This is a crucial step in setting up your index.
To create a full schema at once, you can use a JSON text or a JSON array of values with an object of type OpenSearchServer\Field\CreateBulk.
Index Management
OpenSearchServer offers two pre-configured templates to create an index: WEB_CRAWLER and FILE_CRAWLER. Each template comes with a pre-configured schema, queries, and renderers.
The WEB_CRAWLER template is one of the options, but it's not specified what makes it unique compared to the FILE_CRAWLER template.
To manage your index, you'll need to configure a schema, which is a list of fields with properties.
Index Management
Index Management is a crucial aspect of any search engine, and OpenSearchServer has a wide range of features to help you manage your indexes effectively.
You can create an index with a pre-configured template, such as the WEB_CRAWLER or FILE_CRAWLER templates, which come with pre-configured schema, queries, and renderers.
Indexation is also supported in 18 languages, and you can use various filters like n-gram, lemmatization, and shingle to analyze your data.
Automatic language recognition and named entity recognition are also available, making it easier to process and understand your data.
You can also use the fields schema with analyzers in each language to customize your index according to your needs.
Here are some key features of indexation in OpenSearchServer:
You can also add documents to your index by pushing text files in CSV or TTL format, using a REGEXP pattern to match fields.
To set default and unique fields for an index, you can use the defaultField and uniqueField methods, respectively.
Popular Repositories
In the world of index management, having the right tools can make all the difference. There are many popular repositories out there, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
One of the most popular repositories is opensearchserver, which has a whopping 510 stars and 192 forks. It's an open-source enterprise-grade search engine software written in Java.
The OpenSearchServer PHP Client is another popular choice, with 47 stars and 25 forks. It's a PHP client for the OpenSearchServer API.
Some repositories are more lightweight, like the JCIFS is an Open Source client library that implements the CIFS/SMB networking protocol in 100% Java, which has 9 stars and 8 forks.
Here are some of the most popular repositories:
- opensearchserver (510 stars, 192 forks)
- opensearchserver-php-client (47 stars, 25 forks)
- jcifs-krb5 (9 stars, 8 forks)
- opensearchserver-perl-client (4 stars, 4 forks)
- opensearchserver-net-client (3 stars)
- node-oss-client (2 stars, 5 forks)
Querying and Filtering
You can filter your results more quickly by using saved searches. Saved searches are a powerful tool in OpenSearchServer.
Each request object must be submitted to a global handler that is in charge of sending them to an OpenSearchServer instance and returning a response. This ensures that your requests are processed efficiently.
Making Requests
To make requests, you'll need to create a request object, which is an instance of OpenSearchServer\Request. This object is the foundation for all API calls.
Each request object is a child of the abstract parent class OpenSearchServer\Request, which means it inherits common properties and methods. For example, the OpenSearchServer\Index\Create request is used to create an index.
To create a request, you'll need to specify the type of request, such as OpenSearchServer\Index\Create or OpenSearchServer\Search\Field\Search. Each type of request has its own configuration methods, which you'll need to call to set up the request.
The index() method is a crucial one, shared by almost every type of request. For index creation, it's used to give a name to the new index. In other requests, it's used to configure the index on which the API call will be made.
Here are some common types of requests and their corresponding configuration methods:
- OpenSearchServer\Index\Create: index() (to give a name to the new index)
- OpenSearchServer\Search\Field\Search: index() (to configure the index)
Once you've configured the request, you'll need to send it to an OpenSearchServer instance using the global handler. This will return a response, which you can then use to interact with your OpenSearchServer instance.
OpenServer Similar Results
You can retrieve results similar to a given document using the MoreLikeThis query, which returns a simpler response than a regular search result.
This kind of response is represented by the OpenSearchServer\Response\MoreLikeThisResult class.
Unlike regular search results, this class does not need a call to ->index() before submission.
The response is similar to OpenSearchServer\Response\SearchResult but with fewer features, since results returned by MoreLikeThis query are simpler.
This makes it a convenient option for retrieving similar results without the need for extensive processing.
Response Result
When you receive a response from OpenSearchServer, it's usually in the form of a SearchResult object, which is an instance of OpenSearchServer\Response\SearchResult. This object contains various properties that provide information about the search results.
The SearchResult object has several key properties, including getQuery(), which returns the query executed by OpenSearchServer, and getTotalNumberFound(), which returns the total number of results found in the index for the given query.
You can also get the number of rows asked, the starting offset, the query duration in milliseconds, the number of total collapsed docs, and the max score in the results set using the getRows(), getStart(), getTime(), getCollapsedDocCount(), and getMaxScore() methods respectively.
Here's a summary of the key properties of the SearchResult object:
- getQuery(): returns the query executed by OpenSearchServer
- getRows(): returns the number of rows asked
- getStart(): returns the starting offset
- getTotalNumberFound(): returns the total number of results found in the index
- getTime(): returns the query duration in milliseconds
- getCollapsedDocCount(): returns the number of total collapsed docs
- getMaxScore(): returns the max score in the results set
- getNumberOfResults(): returns the number of results in the results set
Note that the MoreLikeThisResult class is similar to SearchResult but with fewer features, since results returned by MoreLikeThis queries are simpler.
Patterns
Patterns are a crucial part of querying and filtering, allowing you to specify exactly what you're looking for. You can use a pattern to select documents to delete, for example.
There are two main ways to use patterns: with a single string or with an array of strings. The first method, pattern(string $pattern), is used to insert or delete a single URL. The second method, patterns(array $patterns), allows you to insert or delete multiple URLs at once.
To use a pattern, you need to specify the URL to insert or delete. This can be a simple string, such as a URL, or a more complex string that uses a pattern language. The pattern language allows you to configure searched fields with a specific syntax.
Here are the key methods for using patterns:
Use Saved to Speed Up Filtering

Using saved searches is a game-changer for filtering results quickly. You can open-source Enterprise Grade Search Engine Software to take advantage of this feature.
Saved searches allow you to pre-define a set of criteria, so you can easily filter your results later. This can save you a lot of time and effort.
You can save a search query template, which can be registered to be used later without having to input every parameter. This makes it easy to reuse complex queries.
Query templates can also be edited using the administration interface, so you can refine them as needed.
Query Options
Query options in OpenSearchServer are quite flexible. You can use either a query template or a query pattern to delete documents, but you can't use both.
When it comes to searching, you have two main options: search field and search pattern. Both offer a range of common options, including general options, sorting options, and scoring options.
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General options are a must-have when searching. You'll want to consider things like the number of results to return, whether to return all fields, and whether to use the default scoring formula.
Sorting options are also crucial for getting the most out of your search results. You can sort by any field, and even use multiple sorting criteria.
Scoring options allow you to fine-tune how OpenSearchServer ranks your search results. You can boost certain fields to make them more relevant, or even use a custom scoring formula.
Boosting queries can be a game-changer for improving search relevance. By boosting certain fields, you can make them more prominent in your search results.
Facetting options enable you to narrow down your search results by specific fields. This is useful for searching within specific categories or subcategories.
Filtering options allow you to exclude certain documents from your search results. This is useful for ignoring documents that don't meet certain criteria.
Collapsing options can help reduce duplicates in your search results. This is useful when you're searching for similar documents but want to avoid showing multiple copies.
Join options enable you to combine multiple searches into a single query. This is useful for searching across multiple fields or databases.
Here's a summary of the common options available in OpenSearchServer:
Query Execution
Query Execution is where the magic happens in OpenSearchServer. You can execute a more like this search by using a specific template.
To do this, you'll need to specify the name of the more like this query template to use with the `template(string $template)` method. This method is a crucial part of the OpenSearchServer\MoreLikeThis\Create process, and it's where you can customize the search query to your needs.
The `template(string $template)` method is the key to unlocking more like this search functionality. By using this method, you can create a search query that's tailored to your specific requirements.
Here's a quick rundown of the `template(string $template)` method:
- template(string $template): name of more like this query template to use
Every other method of OpenSearchServer\MoreLikeThis\Create can be used there.
Document Management
Document Management in OpenSearchServer is a breeze. You can add documents by creating OpenSearchServer\Document\Document objects and using the addDocument() or addDocuments() methods.
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To add a single document, you can use the addDocument() method with an array or an OpenSearchServer\Document\Document object. If you need to add multiple documents, you can use the addDocuments() method, which is a helper method that calls addDocument() for each item in the array.
You can also set the language of indexation using the lang() method, which is useful for some Analyzers to transform text. For instance, you can use lang('fr') to set the language to French.
To give a value to a field, you can use the field() method, which takes three arguments: the field name, the field value, and an optional boost. For example, you can use field('title', 'My Document', 1.2) to set the title field to 'My Document' with a boost of 1.2.
To delete documents, you can use a query template or a query pattern. You can either use the template() method with the name of a query template or the query() method with a query pattern.
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Document Management
Document management is a crucial aspect of working with OpenSearchServer. You can add documents by creating OpenSearchServer\Document\Document objects.
To add a single document, you can use the addDocument method, which takes an array or an OpenSearchServer\Document\Document object as an argument. This method allows you to specify the language of indexation using the lang method, and you can also assign values to fields using the field method, which can be called multiple times for the same field name.
Adding multiple documents can be achieved using the addDocuments method, which is a helper method that calls the addDocument method for each item in the array.
Here are some key methods for working with documents:
- `addDocument(array / OpenSearchServer\Document\Document $document)`: adds a document to the list of documents to add to the index.
- `addDocuments(array $documents)`: a helper method that adds several documents by calling addDocument for each item in the array.
- `lang(string $lang)`: sets the language of indexation.
- `field(string $name, string $value, int $boost)`: assigns a value to a field with an optional boost.
You can also add documents by pushing a text file, which can be in CSV or TTL format, and you can specify a REGEXP pattern to map values to fields. This is done using the pattern method, along with other methods such as data, langpos, buffersize, charset, field, and fields.
Documents can also be deleted using the delete method, which has several options for specifying the field and value to delete. The field method takes a string argument, which is the name of the field to delete from, and the value method takes a string argument, which is the value to delete. The values method is a helper method that calls the value method for each item in the array.
Here are some key methods for deleting documents:
- `field(string $name)`: the name of the field to delete from.
- `value(string $value)`: the value to delete.
- `values(array $values)`: a helper method that calls the value method for each item in the array.
Document management also involves setting default and unique fields for an index. The defaultField method takes a string argument, which is the name of the field to use as the default field, and the uniqueField method takes a string argument, which is the name of the field to use as the unique field.
Here are some key methods for setting default and unique fields:
- `defaultField(string $name)`: the name of the field to use as the default field.
- `uniqueField(string $name)`: the name of the field to use as the unique field.
Finally, document management involves searching for documents using various methods, including searchField and searchFields, which allow you to specify the fields to search and the mode, boost, and phraseBoost.
Delete Documents Using an Existing Query Template or Query Pattern

Deleting documents is an essential part of document management, and there are two methods to do it efficiently.
You can delete documents using an existing query template, which is a pre-configured set of parameters that can be reused later.
To use a query template, simply call the template function with the name of the query template as an argument, like this: template($queryTemplate): name of a query template to use for deletion.
Alternatively, you can use a query pattern to select the documents to delete. This method is useful when you need to delete documents based on a specific condition.
To use a query pattern, call the query function with the pattern as an argument, like this: query($pattern): query pattern for selecting documents to delete.
Here's a summary of the two methods:
Both methods are efficient and can be used to delete documents quickly and accurately.
Analyzer and Crawler
OpenSearchServer's Analyzer and Crawler components are crucial for indexing and searching data.
The Crawler component is responsible for fetching and processing data from various sources, including files, databases, and websites. This component supports various protocols like HTTP, FTP, and database connections.
The Analyzer component breaks down the text into individual words or tokens, allowing for more accurate search results. This process is essential for natural language processing and search functionality.
Crawlers
Crawlers play a crucial role in data collection and analysis. They can crawl various types of data sources, including the internet, extranet, and intranet.
The web crawler is a powerful tool that can extract data from websites and online platforms. It can also crawl file systems, including local and remote files, using protocols like NFS, SMB/CIFS, FTP, FTPS, and SWIFT.
A database crawler is also available, which can extract data from all JDBC databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server. This is useful for analyzing large datasets stored in databases.
Filtering is an important feature in crawlers. You can include or exclude data using wildcards, which allows for precise control over the data collection process.
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Another useful feature is the ability to remove session parameters, which helps to clean up the data and prevent unnecessary variables from being included.
The crawler can also handle complex data sources, such as SQL joins and linked files. This makes it easier to extract data from relational databases and other complex data sources.
For developers, the crawler provides a range of methods for inserting and deleting data, including methods for the Insert and Delete classes.
If you need to crawl a specific URL, you can use the Force crawling of URL feature. This is the same as the Manual crawl feature in OpenSearchServer's interface. The given URL must be included in the inclusion patterns.
To retrieve the crawled data, including the content of the page and all extracted fields, you can use the returnData(true) method.
An Analyzer
An analyzer is a crucial component in the OpenSearchServer system, allowing you to create, update, and retrieve information about analyzers.
You can create an analyzer using a JSON text or a JSON array of values with an object of type OpenSearchServer\Analyzer\Create. This object requires two parameters: name and lang.
To create an analyzer, you need to specify the name and language of the analyzer. The name should be a string, and the lang should be a string representing the language of the analyzer.
Here are the parameters needed to create an analyzer:
Once you've created an analyzer, you can retrieve its details using the name and language of the analyzer.
Parse Files
Parse Files is a powerful feature in OpenSearchServer that allows you to extract information from various file types.
You don't need to create an index to use this API, making it "index-free". This means you can parse files without having to worry about setting up an index first.
The API methods are designed to be flexible, allowing you to send a file or parse a file located on the server. OpenSearchServer will automatically detect the file type and apply the correct parser.
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Here are the optional parameters you can use when sending a file:
- name (string): name of the file (optional)
- type (string): type of the file (optional)
- path (string): path of the file located on the server (optional)
- file (string): path of the file to send to the parser (optional)
- filePath (string): path of the file to send to the parser (optional)
- variable (string, string): one property of the parser (optional)
This flexibility makes it easy to integrate with your existing workflows and systems.
Autocomplete and Spellcheck
Autocompletion is a key feature in OpenSearchServer, allowing users to create "sub-index" for suggestions. Autocompletion items need to be created and configured with fields to use for suggestions.
To create an autocompletion item, you'll need to specify the name of the item, the field in the main schema from which suggestions are returned, and any additional fields required for the suggestion. You can use the `field()` helper method to call the `field()` method for each item in an array.
Here's a quick rundown of the required fields for creating an autocompletion item:
- name (string): name of autocompletion item to create.
- field (string): name of field in main schema from which suggestion are returned.
- fields (array): helper method, calls field() for each item in array.
Autocompletion
Autocompletion is a powerful feature that can be used to suggest possible completions for a user's input. In the context of OpenSearchServer, autocompletion is created and configured with fields to use for suggestions.
To create an autocompletion, you'll need to specify the name of the autocompletion item and the name of the field in the main schema from which suggestions are returned.
Here are the required parameters for creating an autocompletion:
- name(string $name): name of autocompletion item to create.
- field(string $name): name of field in main schema from which suggestion are returned.
- fields(array $fields): helper method, calls field() for each item in array.
The fields parameter is a helper method that allows you to specify multiple fields for suggestions, making it easy to create complex autocompletion rules.
Response SpellCheckResult
The Response SpellCheckResult is a vital part of OpenSearchServer's Autocomplete and Spellcheck functionality. It's returned by SpellCheck queries and allows you to access spell check suggestions for each asked field.
The Response SpellCheckResult has several useful methods that make it easy to work with spell check suggestions. For example, getSpellSuggestionsArray() returns the spell suggestions for one field as an array.
This array is sorted with more frequent suggestions at the beginning, making it easy to find the most likely corrections. The key is the searched word, and the value is an array of suggestions with their frequencies.
You can also use getBestSpellSuggestion() to get the best spell suggestion for a field, or getSpellSuggest() as an alias to the same method.
Here are the Response SpellCheckResult methods summarized:
- getSpellSuggestionsArray(string $fieldname): returns the spell suggestions for one field as an array, sorted by frequency
- getBestSpellSuggestion(string $fieldname): returns the best spell suggestion for this field
- getSpellSuggest(string $fieldname): helper method, alias to getBestSpellSuggestion()
Replication
Replication is a powerful feature in OpenSearchServer, allowing you to create or update a replication with ease.
The first step is to give your replication a name, which is a required field.
You'll also need to specify the type of replication, which can be one of the constants defined in OpenSearchServer\Request.
The target instance of OpenSearchServer will need to be specified, including its URL, login, and API key.
You can also choose the target index name for the replication.
A timeout in seconds can be set for the replication, giving you control over how long it should run.
Here are the details you'll need to provide when creating or updating a replication:
- name (string $name): the name of the replication
- replicationType (string $value): the type of replication (use constants defined in OpenSearchServer\Request)
- remoteUrl (string $value): the URL of the target OpenSearchServer instance
- remoteLogin (string $value): the login for the target instance
- remoteApiKey (string $value): the API key
- remoteIndexName (string $value): the target index name
- secTimeOut (string $value): the timeout in seconds
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