Only Essential Features for Direct Search

1 Initial Problem

ILIAS currently offers two parallel implementations of search, direct seach and Lucene search. Maintaining both implementations and trying to keep them comparable in terms of functionality is time-consuming and an obstacle for future developments. Further, the two implementations have already drifted apart, sometimes in ways that were planned and documented, but sometimes not.

2 Conceptual Summary

The direct search should be stripped back to the essentials. It should only find repository objects (and not e.g. pages in Learning Modules), and it should only search by title and description. LOM keywords and contributors should not be searched.

Additional functionality beyond those basics (now and in the future) should be restricted to Lucene search.

This way we can offer a performant and capable search with Lucene, but also at least some basic search functionality for minimal installations, all while keeping the Search component maintainable.

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

3.2 User Interface Details

The capabilities of both searches should be stated more clearly in the Search Administration.

Info text for the 'Direct search' radio button:

Searches the ILIAS-Database without the help of additional software. Only title and description of objects in the repository are covered, sub-objects or the content of files (e.g. PDFs, or pages in a Learning Module) will not appear in the results.

Info text for the 'Lucene search' radio button:

Performs index-based searches, capable of searching in sub-objects, files, and additional fields such as metadata. Recommended for best results, especially on larger ILIAS-Installations. To be able to use Lucene search in ILIAS, the JAVA-based ilServer must be installed and configured (see the ‘Lucene’-tab).

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

-

3.4 Accessibility Implications

No accessibility implications.

4 Additional Information

4.1 Involved Authorities

If this request is related to multiple components, please list both authorities for all related components.

4.2 Technical Aspects

Fields searchable via the direct search should be restricted to those from the Object component (object_data, object_reference and object_description). The joins to tables from other components as seen in the current implementation should be avoided, to achieve better separation between components.

4.3 Privacy

No privacy implications.

4.4 Security

No foreseeable security implications.

4.5 Contact

Person to be contacted in case of questions about the feature or for funding offers:  Schmitz, Tim [tschmitz]

4.6 Funding

Funding status and funding parties are listed in the block 'Status of Feature' in the right column of this page.

If you are interested to give funding for this feature, please get into contact with the person mentioned above as 'Contact'.

5 Discussion

6 Implementation

Feature has been implemented by {Please add related profile link of this person}

6.1 Description and Screenshots

{ Description of the final implementation and screenshots if possible. }

6.2 Test Cases

Test cases completed at {date} by {user}

6.3 Privacy

Information in privacy.md of component: updated at {date} by {user} | no change required

6.4 Approval

Approved at {date} by {user}.