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Basically, I got the same problem as this guy but I also need relevancy: PHP 'smart' search engine to search Mysql tables advice

But, I can't use Sphinx or Lucene (shared hosting)...

I can use LIKE but that has not relevancy so does anyone know a good PHP class that does create relevancy?

So I need something that fits this bill:

  • Result relevancy value
  • Match part of words, i.e. "LIKE %searchterm%"
  • Search multiple database columns
  • Can't use things like Sphinx or Lucene, no supported by my shared hosting...

I'm using the CakePHP framework.

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Temega
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  • On a side note, I'd remark that you can have a very reasonable VPS for dirt cheap nowadays, so if you're up for minor administration / monitoring of your server, you can have any package you like. – Wrikken Sep 27 '10 at 17:44
  • At the moment that is out of the question. Really all I need is a script that creates relevancy values alongside a LIKE search. There has to be a simple PHP class someone created for this purpose... – Temega Sep 27 '10 at 18:41

3 Answers3

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You might be interested in my presentation Practical Full Text Search in MySQL.

I compare performance of several solutions:

  • LIKE predicates
  • MyISAM FULLTEXT indexes
  • Sphinx Search
  • Lucene (or Solr)
  • Google Custom Search Engine
  • Inverted indexes

If you have no opportunity to install a dedicated search engine, I'd recommend using FULLTEXT or Google CSE.

Using LIKE predicates is pretty clearly the worst choice.

I have tried Zend_Search_Lucene, the pure-PHP clone of Apache Lucene, but the PHP version is much too slow at indexing. See my answer to Can I predict how large my Zend Framework index will be? (and some quick Q:s)

Zend_Search_Lucene also hasn't maintained compatibility with new versions of the Apache Lucene index file format. See Using Solr and Zends Lucene port together…

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Bill Karwin
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  • Thanks Bill, but I really just need something simple that just gives some sort of relevancy to LIKE %% results, the other solutions out of the question atm unfortunatly – Temega Sep 27 '10 at 18:43
  • FULLTEXT indexes are too complex? *Really?* – Bill Karwin Sep 27 '10 at 18:55
  • No, what I meant by simple is a something in the form of a class instead of a full-blow plugin like Sphinx, Solr... I'm already using mysql's fulltext searh, which has relevancy only when not in boolean mode – Temega Sep 27 '10 at 19:00
  • So why not use fulltext searches then? The typical pattern is `SELECT MATCH... AS relevance FROM ... WHERE MATCH...IN BOOLEAN MODE ORDER BY relevance` so you use boolean to find matching rows, and non-boolean to make a relevance column you can sort by. – Bill Karwin Sep 27 '10 at 20:07
  • Because non boolean returns a different result that in boolean?? That makes the relevance irrelevant ;) – Temega Sep 27 '10 at 23:09
  • Okay, but `LIKE` doesn't return relevance, it only returns true/false. Your solution in MySQL to return relevance is FULLTEXT in non-boolean mode. Sorry I can't offer anything different. – Bill Karwin Sep 27 '10 at 23:14
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Zend_Search_Lucene is an implementation of Lucene in pure PHP. I use it on a shared hosting website I run.

lonesomeday
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I ended up using mysql's full-text search in boolean mode. I also append the * operators to each search term.

user input: tom jones

resulting query: match(name,description) against('tom* jones* IN BOOLEAN MODE');

Thanks for everyone's help.

Temega
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