Feature requests: multi-attribute sorting and case-insensitive sort directions

[Robert-K-S]

With regard to the sort() function in the Search class, I would like to be able to specify multi-attribute sorting, like so:

$search->sort(['date' => 'DESC', 'attribute2' => 'ASC', 'attribute3' => 'DESC', 'attribute4' => 'ASC']);

It appears that the current code only allows for specifying sorting by one attribute, or by multiple attributes but all with the same sort direction.

It also appears that specifying the sort direction ('ASC' or 'DESC') as anything other than all-lowercase results in an error. It would be preferable to be able to specify these in uppercase, consistent with SQL conventions.

[githubmanticore]

➤ Nick Sergeev commented:

The support of uppercase sorting directions is implemented in https://github.com/manticoresoftware/manticoresearch-php/releases/tag/v2.3.1

As for the use of multi-attribute sorting, you can do it by chaining multiple sort calls, e.g.:

$search->sort(['date' => 'DESC'])->sort(['attribute2' => 'ASC'])->sort(['attribute3' => 'DESC']); 

[Robert-K-S]

I note that the maximum number of sort-by attributes is 5. It might be worth mentioning this (and the chaining method) in the documentation.

https://github.com/manticoresoftware/manticoresearch-php/blob/master/docs/searchclass.md#sort

Note also at the top of this section of the documentation there is a typo of a backtick quote character in the part that first mentions asc and desc.

[githubmanticore]

➤ Nick Sergeev commented:

We've updated the documentation on sorting and fixed the typo.

[d47081]

What is the difference between

$search->sort(['date' => 'DESC'])->sort(['attribute2' => 'ASC']);

and

$search->sort('date', 'DESC')->sort('attribute2', 'DESC');

and

$search->sort('date', 'DESC');
$search->sort('attribute2', 'DESC');

How to dump the query?

[sanikolaev]

What is the difference between

Please review the code

manticoresearch-php/src/Manticoresearch/Search.php

Line 273 in 051e90d

public function sort($field, $direction = 'asc', $mode = null): self

How to dump the query?

What do you mean?

[d47081]

I meant how to display raw SQL query for debug

[sanikolaev]

The PHP client generates a JSON query, not SQL. You should be able to intercept it before sending to Manticore and print_r(). I believe it can be done somewhere here https://github.com/manticoresoftware/manticoresearch-php/blob/master/src/Manticoresearch/Transport/Http.php

[d47081]

Oh, thanks for a tip, I thought it's should be raw SQL in back-end request

now it's clear!