Can some help me in implementing Faceted search in PHP

Question

I am trying to build a faceted search for a PHP based e-commerce website. Building filters using GET methods is making code very complicated as the website has many filters. Can someone give some tutorial or some better way for building a faceted search?

I thought of implementing faceted search using Sphinx, but I am new to Sphinx. The client has rejected Sphinx (I don't know why). I am able to build basic search using Sphinx, but don't know how to go ahead with faceted search. If someone can provide some tutorials on Sphinx that will be great as I may try to convince the client after implementing using it. Time is a major factor here as I have to implement faceted search in a day.

$urlstring = '';
$urlstring = rmParamQS('category');
$urlstring = rmParamQS('brand', $urlstring);

code that will add the new query string like category or brand and will remove existing query strings from above functions

$url = 'http://' . $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'].'?page='.$page.$urlstring;

$categoryGet = (isset($_GET['category']))?$_GET['category']:NULL;
$categoryQS = '&category='.$categoryGet;

$brandGet = (isset($_GET['brand']))?$_GET['brand']:NULL;
$brandQS = '&brand='.$brandGet;

$categories = categories_list($brandGet);

echo '<ul id="categories">';
list all categories using foreach with link in following format
echo '<a href="'.$url.'&category='.$category["category_id"].'">'
echo '</ul>';

$brands = brands_list($categoryGet);
echo '<ul id="brands">';
list all brands using foreach with link in following format
echo '<a href="'.$url.'&brand='.$brand["brand_id"].'">'
echo '</ul>';

Like categories and brands I have five more filters. The rmParamQS function will remove the respective query string from $url. the categories_list and brands_list functions will filter data based on ids in Query Strings in url of other filters

you probably shouldn't use Sphinx if the client emphatically rejected it — Don, Aug 10 '12 at 16:42
If only if I can implement it quick enough as I felt Sphinx will be fast and better way to go ahead — user434509, Aug 10 '12 at 20:16
Is a hosted search service an option? It might solve the time constraint — Chris Lamprecht, Sep 08 '12 at 18:09

score 0 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:20

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I don't know why it's a faceted search but here is an example with php and mysql using joins: Faceted Search (solr) vs Good old filtering via PHP?.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:20

Community

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answered Aug 10 '12 at 17:13

Micromega

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Actually I am able filter the data with database queries in some functions. I am having problem with many GET methods in url while calling these functions. – user434509 Aug 10 '12 at 17:53

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 07 '19 at 02:52

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Here's a tutorial on faceted search in Sphinx / Manticore Search - https://play.manticoresearch.com/faceting/

answered Aug 07 '19 at 02:52

Manticore Search

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Can some help me in implementing Faceted search in PHP

2 Answers2