Complex request with range filter and boolean search

Question

Hi
I need a build and maintain complex requests to Oracle Endeca Server. These requests could include different types of attributes: string, datetime, int.
For string attributes I have created a search interface and use boolean search. For datetime attributes I use a range filter. Separately it works as I expected, but it fails with combined search with range filter and boolean search in a single request. As I see from results range filter is completely ignored. What could be wrong with following request?
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<S:Envelope xmlns:S="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
<S:Body>
<ns3:Request xmlns:ns2="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/lql_parser/types" xmlns:ns3="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/conversation/1/0">
<ns3:State/>
<ns3:Operator xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="ns3:RecordFilterOperator">
<ns3:RecordFilter Name="OnlyData">AND(NOT(mdex-property_Key),NOT(mdex-dimension_Key),NOT(mdex-config_Key),NOT(mdex-precedenceRule_Key),NOT(system-group_Key),NOT(system-group-membership_Key))</ns3:RecordFilter>
</ns3:Operator>
<ns3:Operator xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="ns3:SortOperator" Direction="Descending" Key="string_prop" OwnerId="Records"/>
<ns3:Operator xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="ns3:RangeFilterOperator">
<ns3:RangeFilter AttributeName="dateTime_prop">
<ns3:LowerBound Inclusive="true">2012-07-24T19:47:01Z</ns3:LowerBound>
</ns3:RangeFilter>
</ns3:Operator>
<ns3:Operator xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="ns3:SearchOperator">
<ns3:SearchFilter SnippetLength="20" EnableSnippeting="true" Mode="Boolean" Key="orderSearch">multiple_prop : one</ns3:SearchFilter>
</ns3:Operator>
<ns3:ContentElementConfig xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="ns3:RecordListConfig" HandlerFunction="RecordListHandler" HandlerNamespace="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/conversation/1/0" Id="Records">
<ns3:RecordsPerPage>3</ns3:RecordsPerPage>
</ns3:ContentElementConfig>
</ns3:Request>
</S:Body>
</S:Envelope>
If my approach is incorrect could you provide me a a better way to handle such requests?
Regards,
Eugene.

Answer 1

Hi Eugene,
As you know, this issue has been discussed further, so I am posting here the summary of the findings, with the hope that this summary will benefit the Endeca Server user community at large.
* Boolean search only works with range filters for the AND operator. The documentation link above confirms this.
*Because of this restriction, you need to build another query that would achieve the same result. Both options are equally good and would achieve the results you need. Two suggestions that we've received were:
- Option 1. You could perform the key restriction of the search via a restrictive search interface rather than using the boolean match mode. This would involve creating a search interface for each field and then querying against the search interface for the field in question:
<Operator xmlns="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/lql_parser/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="SearchOperator">
<SearchFilter SnippetLength="20" EnableSnippeting="true" Mode="All" Key="orderSearch_for_field_multiple_prop">one</SearchFilter>
</Operator>
For this option, you would have to create a search interface for each attribute, using the Config Web Service. Here is the topic about loading config documents into the Endeca Server:http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E29805_01/server.230/es_dev/toc.htm#Loading%20configuration%20documents
- Option 2
* You could implement the range filter through EQL row expression syntax instead and pass it in via the DataSourceFilterOperator, which acts as a prefilter on all other query logic, using the Conversation Web Service. Thus you might include:
<Operator xmlns="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/lql_parser/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="DataSourceFilterOperator">
<DataSourceFilterString>dateTime_prop <= TO_DATETIME('2012-07-24T19:47:01Z')</DataSourceFilterString>
</Operator>
For this option, using the DataSourceFilter does not require you to model the rest of the query in EQL. It will perform slightly better than the filter in option 1 because of the order in which record set intersections are computed, but the difference is likely to be very small.
Finally, if this addresses your question, please mark this question as answered, so that others can benefit from it on the forum. Big thanks to Endeca Server development team (you know who you are!), for helping to find solutions for this request.
Julia
Edited by: JuliaM on Aug 30, 2012 2:05 PM
Edited by: JuliaM on Aug 30, 2012 2:06 PM