Sorting

Sorting allows you to control the order of search results based on specific fields or relevance scores.

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Understanding Sorting

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Key Concepts

1. Sort Fields

   • Relevance score (default)
   • Metadata fields
   • Feature properties
   • Custom fields

2. Sort Direction

   • Ascending order
   • Descending order
   • Multiple fields
   • Default ordering

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Sort Configuration

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Basic Structure

{
  "sort": {
    "direction": "desc",
    "field": "relevance"
  }
}

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Configuration Options

1. Field Selection

   • Must be indexed fields
   • Supports dot notation
   • Multiple field types
   • Special fields (e.g., relevance)

2. Direction Control

   • ”asc” for ascending
   • ”desc” for descending
   • Default: descending
   • Per-field control

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Common Use Cases

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Result Ordering

1. Relevance-Based

   • Search result ranking
   • Similarity ordering
   • Quality-based sorting
   • Confidence scores

2. Temporal Ordering

   • Date created
   • Last modified
   • Sequence order
   • Time-based relevance

3. Metadata Sorting

   • Alphabetical order
   • Numerical values
   • Custom rankings
   • Category order

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Limitations

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Technical Constraints

1. Field Restrictions

   • Only indexed fields
   • Type limitations
   • No computed fields
   • No dynamic sorting

2. Performance Impact

   • Sort field complexity
   • Result set size
   • Memory requirements
   • Query optimization

3. Functionality Restrictions

   • Single sort direction
   • Limited field combinations
   • No custom sort functions
   • Type compatibility

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Performance Considerations

1. Resource Usage

   • Index utilization
   • Memory consumption
   • CPU utilization
   • I/O impact

2. Scaling Factors

   • Dataset size
   • Field cardinality
   • Sort complexity
   • Result volume

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Best Practices

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Optimization Tips

1. Field Selection

   • Use indexed fields
   • Consider cardinality
   • Monitor performance
   • Test combinations

2. Implementation

   • Cache sorted results
   • Use appropriate indexes
   • Handle missing values
   • Consider defaults

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Common Patterns

1. Mixed Sorting

   • Combine with filters
   • Use with pagination
   • Apply to groups
   • Preserve relevance

2. Dynamic Ordering

   • User preferences
   • Context-aware
   • Adaptive sorting
   • Business rules

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Error Handling

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Common Issues

1. Invalid Configuration

   • Unknown fields
   • Type mismatches
   • Missing indexes
   • Direction errors

2. Performance Problems

   • Slow sorts
   • Memory limits
   • Large datasets
   • Complex fields

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Resolution Steps

1. Configuration Validation

   • Verify fields
   • Check types
   • Validate direction
   • Test performance

2. Performance Optimization

   • Use proper indexes
   • Limit result sets
   • Cache results
   • Monitor resources

For implementation details and examples, see the Search API Reference.