Best way to search thread metadata?

Best way to search thread metadata? Hello, I'm writing a tagging module to allow users to tag threads with a simple array of strings. I'm using v5.2 The way I've done this in other modules is to store the array in the first post's metadata (parent_id = 0). Easy enough. But, the challenge here is how to filter the thread list by those meta tags. I think I have two options: 1. Add tag support to search.php 2. Filter the topc list via list.php Option #1 - Adding a new parameter to the search is easy enough, and there is already a hook "search_action" that allows a module to bypass the built-in phorum_db_search(). However, that would require writing a new phorum_db_search() as the existing DB layer functions don't have hooks. I don't need to combine tag search with the other search params, so that makes it fairly easy. However, I would have to somehow parse/search the "meta" column within the search SQL itself - very hacky/fragile Option #2 - Modify the thread list to filter by tag(s). Looking at list.php, there doesn't seem to be a standard hook to bypass the built-in phorum_db_get_thread_list() - but it would be easy enough to add a new phorum_hook call. But, then I'm in the same position of writing a new phorum_db_get_thread_list() to SQL search the serialized meta data just like before. Any tips or tricks or hints or thoughts on this? Do any other modules implement SQL meta data search that I can look at? Thanks, Skye https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155667#msg-155667 Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:31:06 -0500 Phorum 6.0.4 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,162621#msg-162621 Re: Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,162621#msg-162621 Simon King Phorum Development Sat, 16 Oct 2021 16:45:38 -0500 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,157058#msg-157058 Re: Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,157058#msg-157058 Orinic Phorum Development Wed, 20 Apr 2016 02:00:39 -0500 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155683#msg-155683 Re: Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155683#msg-155683 Skye N. Phorum Development Fri, 27 Feb 2015 13:16:31 -0600 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155678#msg-155678 Re: Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155678#msg-155678
I ended up adding a new hook "list_action" in list.php, but that's the only modification I needed to the base code.

You can check it out here, with the new topic list filter drop-down: [www.triumphexp.com]

I'm going to run it on that site for a while to iron out any bugs, before trying it on a bigger site.

If there's any interest, I could package it up and make the code public. But it does require some coding skills to install the new hook and quite a lot of template elements, and I don't have any time to provide support for the module.

Skye]]> Skye N. Phorum Development Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:56:48 -0600 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155669#msg-155669 Re: Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155669#msg-155669

Quote
Skye N.
I guess in the end, there is no good way to search the meta column so it's a non starter. The performance would be terrible and error prone

[stackoverflow.com]

So, I should just normalize the db and create a separate thread_id -> tag table from the start.

I was about to answer exactly that. The metadata is not really searchable, you should store it in a better searchable format.]]> Thomas Seifert Phorum Development Sun, 22 Feb 2015 03:41:16 -0600 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155668#msg-155668 Re: Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155668#msg-155668
[stackoverflow.com]

So, I should just normalize the db and create a separate thread_id -> tag table from the start.]]> Skye N. Phorum Development Sat, 21 Feb 2015 23:18:23 -0600 https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155667#msg-155667 Best way to search thread metadata? https://www.phorum.org/support/read.php?14,155667,155667#msg-155667
The way I've done this in other modules is to store the array in the first post's metadata (parent_id = 0). Easy enough.

But, the challenge here is how to filter the thread list by those meta tags. I think I have two options:

1. Add tag support to search.php
2. Filter the topc list via list.php

Option #1 - Adding a new parameter to the search is easy enough, and there is already a hook "search_action" that allows a module to bypass the built-in phorum_db_search(). However, that would require writing a new phorum_db_search() as the existing DB layer functions don't have hooks. I don't need to combine tag search with the other search params, so that makes it fairly easy. However, I would have to somehow parse/search the "meta" column within the search SQL itself - very hacky/fragile

Option #2 - Modify the thread list to filter by tag(s). Looking at list.php, there doesn't seem to be a standard hook to bypass the built-in phorum_db_get_thread_list() - but it would be easy enough to add a new phorum_hook call. But, then I'm in the same position of writing a new phorum_db_get_thread_list() to SQL search the serialized meta data just like before.

Any tips or tricks or hints or thoughts on this? Do any other modules implement SQL meta data search that I can look at?

Thanks,
Skye]]> Skye N. Phorum Development Sat, 21 Feb 2015 21:00:10 -0600