Apache Solr Search Course Drupal 7 Acquia
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This document provides an introduction to search in Drupal 7 and discusses how to optimize search using Apache Solr. It begins with an overview of why search is important and the limitations of Drupal core search. It then covers how to install and configure Apache Solr for Drupal, including indexing the site, configuring search pages and blocks, and customizing Solr for better results. The document also discusses how to improve the user experience through facets, location-based searching, and customizing result displays. Exercises are provided to help implement many of the discussed optimizations.
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Apache Solr Search Course Drupal 7 Acquia
- 1. INTRO TO SEARCH IN DRUPAL 7 Create an optimal search experience
- 2. Welcome!
- 3. SECTION 1: WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR? Introduction
- 4. We need search! The problem
- 5. Why do you need search? • Commerce - increase sales? • Large amounts of data? • Connecting people to information? ! • Share some examples!
- 6. Our sample travel site • Administration > Structure > Content types • Administration > Reports > Field list
- 7. Core search - what’s in the box? We need a search page!
- 8. Drupal 7 core search • Interval defines how often updated content is being processed and sent to the index. Cron.php Indexing process
- 9. Core search indexing • HTML Tag Scores! • <H1> scored at 25 ! • <H2> scored at 18! • Headings have higher scores than content.! • Accent Removal! • Montréal => Montreal! • Stemming! • skips, skipping also means “skip”
- 10. Core search limitations • SQL Not optimized for full text search! • Limited Operators! • Slow/not scalable! • Stemming happens on PHP side, not optimized! • Dead ends
- 11. Demo: Core search • Load up Drupal core search • Confusing UI • Advanced search? Users don’t use it. • Confusing UI of Search page • Can’t customize options • Index? • Limitations for fine-tuning
- 12. Exercise 1: Core search configuration • Load up Drupal core search • Confusing UI • Advanced search? Users don’t use it. • Confusing UI of Search page • Can’t customize options • Index? • Limitations for fine-tuning
- 13. Dead ends.... • A bad landing page, with no suggestions. • “Don’t make me think”.
- 15. Alternatives to core search • Full services:! • Google’s Custom Search ! • Google Search Appliance! ! • Indexing software:! • Fuzzy Search! • Elasticsearch! • Apache Solr
- 16. Apache Solr • Based on Lucene! • Written in Java; uses container such as Tomcat or Jetty! • Mathematical Indexing! • Replication / Solr Cloud! • Multiple indexes (Multicore)
- 17. Apache Solr • Separate Server! • Indexes your site! • Widely used and tested GET (POST) Search *SQL Web ServerPOST index Solr
- 18. Integrating Apache Solr and Drupal
- 19. Integrate Solr w/ Drupal • Search API • Apache Solr Search Integration
- 20. Customizing Solr • Improve the Index • What Solr is storing • How Solr indexes information • Improve the Query • What is being requested from Solr • Improve the Results • What is displayed to the user, and how they navigate the search experience http://2012.pnwdrupalsummit.org/sessions/customizing-apache-solr-search-experience
- 21. SECTION 2: CONFIGURE SOLR SEARCH IN DRUPAL Getting set up
- 23. Comparisons Core index config Solr index config
- 24. Available with Solr Spell checking Bias settings Suggestions
- 25. “More like this” • Example from NIH.gov: Instead of using Entity reference fields. • You can configure multiple suggestion blocks for specific content types or site sections.
- 26. Sorting options • A block to allow users to alter sort.
- 27. Demo: What comes with Solr? • Enable the modules. • Index the site. What is indexed? • Spelling correction offered out of the box, difference with core search. • Re-index, when does “cron” run? • More like this block, place and configure. • Search page configuration under Pages/ blocks.
- 28. Exercise 2: Configure Solr search • A. Ensure search is installed and enabled • B. Index site • C. Review default results • D. Configure your search page • E. Place a “more like this” block on your site.
- 29. SECTION 3: HOW TO IMPROVE SEARCH Boosting relevant results
- 31. Optmization options • Phrases • Search for sentences, phrases • Optimize search for specific use cases • More recent content, is it more relevant? • Content with comments, are they more useful? • Body content, use of H2 and H3? • Synonyms • synonyms.txt -
- 32. Demo: Optimize results • Bias settings • When changes take effect • Before and after examples
- 33. Exercise 3: Optimize your search results A.Test search before changes B.Improve the result biases C.Testing the changes; how to check the Index D.Improve term proximity results E.Improve bias based on fields and terms
- 34. SECTION 4: FACETS AND WIDGETS Filtering and displaying results
- 36. Facets provide useful filters Shows what it’s filtered on Bravo.com, Drupal site
- 37. Select content .net magazine, Drupal site
- 38. Offer facets people need Do clients sort by name? Use facets and sorting which influence decisions. ! Material Color, etc made.com, not a drupal site
- 39. Tips to define facets • Listen to users • Analyze query logs to define facets. • Use popular words to label facets. • Check competitors and across your industry. • Choose important facets • On which facets do people make decisions? • Which features influence a purchase? • Plan content types for searching • Depends on your content model, taxonomy, fields! http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/08/principles-of-effective-e-commerce-search/
- 40. How are our users searching? • What facets would you enable on this site?
- 41. Facets API in Drupal
- 42. About Facets • For each facet you configure: • A display widget • A corresponding query type. • A block to place, some examples:
- 43. Example display widgets With Facet API Additional modules Links Tag cloud drupal.org/project/facetapi_tagcloud Links with checkboxes Slider drupal.org/project/facetapi_slider
- 44. Demo: Configuring facets • Enable the module. • Review options for configuring facets for different displays. • Display widgets, relate to specific queries.
- 45. Exercise 4: Configure a facet slider • A. Configure the facet options • B. Place the population facet block • C. Test the search • D. Enable the slider for display • E. Test the search again
- 46. SECTION 5: HOW TO IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE
- 48. Established standards • Users expect the search form to be... where? • Queries • Should be easy to refine • Incremental construction • Results • Display the query • Easy to read key information http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2009/12/08/principles-of-effective-e-commerce-search/
- 49. Beyond the defaults • Limitations: • Default results don’t show relevant data specific to your site: dates, numerical data, location maps. • Better: • Landing page revealing the content • Better search bar with suggestions! • Key information in results with custom displays. • Paths which are easy to share and navigate.
- 53. Search page options • How many results? • Enable spell check? • Show search box? • Enabled Facets?
- 54. Facet block placement • Double check your facet block configuration. • Where to display? Search box in header?
- 55. Demo: Apache Solr Autocomplete • Enable Apache Solr Auto Complete. • Uses stemming so verb forms are picked up as well. • Becoming standard, what users want.
- 56. Demo: Rich snippets • Replicates Google’s results; Needs RDF! Tip: If you install this during demo, please ensure to disable this for next exercise
- 57. Demo: Search page configuration • Where you configure Pages/blocks • Demo how to change options
- 58. Next: Manage display • Control the display for “Search results” • Limited options; only fields
- 59. Display Suite for Search results
- 60. Display Suite! • Display Suite + Display Suite Search ! • (and Display Suite UI)! • Custom layout! • Select which fields to display! • Multiple columns, headers and footers.
- 62. Display suite • Access items which aren’t “fields”
- 63. View modes • Add “view modes” for specific control
- 64. Display Suite regions • Variety of layouts
- 65. Arrange fields in regions
- 66. Demo: Display Suite • Enable Display Suite, Display Suite Search, Display Suite UI • Modify display and change layout for “Search result” • Show what “Search index” provides.
- 67. Exercise 5: Improve display with Display Suite • Manage display, Choose relevant fields
- 68. SECTION 6: CUSTOM CODE - PROXIMITY SEARCH Example of custom code
- 70. Location data in search • Takes the coordinates of the search, and returns to the query.
- 71. Demo: Location results • Use Display Suite to display a location on a Map. • Which modules work best • Tips about handling Location data ! • A custom code example- using location as a factor in search. • Search training Location module • Location Search module
- 72. Exercise 6: Display location results • Requires: The Display Suite modules, GMap, GMap Location, Geocoder.
- 73. SECTION 7: ENHANCEMENTS If time allows!
- 74. Indexing files such as PDF or DOCX Search file attachments
- 75. Search files • Document search! • Server requirements
- 76. Demo: Attachment search • Assumes you’re using Acquia’s search service • Enable Apache Solr search attachments
- 77. ANY QUESTIONS?