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Oliver Eilhard edited this page May 17, 2018 · 5 revisions

The Query DSL in Elasticsearch is a complex beast. While you can simply build the query yourself and use .BodyString(...) to make Elastic to execute it, Elastic has support for programmatically setting up your queries in Go.

Here's a simple example of setting up a BoolQuery with Elastic (v3).

// Search with a bool query
query := elastic.NewBoolQuery()
query = query.Must(elastic.NewTermQuery("user", "olivere"))
query = query.Filter(elastic.NewTermQuery("account", 1))
src, err := query.Source()
if err != nil {
  panic(err)
}
data, err := json.MarshalIndent(src, "", "  ")
if err != nil {
  panic(err)
}
fmt.Println(string(data))
// Output:
// {
//   "bool": {
//     "filter": {
//       "term": {
//         "account": 1
//       }
//     },
//     "must": {
//       "term": {
//         "user": "olivere"
//       }
//     }
//   }
// }

If you have a complex query, here are some tips for getting it to work in Elastic.

  1. Create and test your query with e.g. Kibana Console and tweak it until it works fine for you.
  2. Construct the query from the inside out. Use e.g. builders to set up your queries via Go funcs (see below for an example).
  3. If you are unsure how to construct a specific query or aggregation in Elastic, look up the tests. They serve not only for tests but also for documentation purposes.

Here's a simple finder for e.g. films that resembles the builder pattern used throughout the Elastic API (as well as the Elasticsearch Java API). Find the source code in this gist.

package main

import (
	"context"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	_ "log"
	"strings"
	"time"

	"github.com/olivere/elastic"
)

const (
	indexName = "films"
	mapping   = `
	{
		"settings":{
			"number_of_shards":1,
			"number_of_replicas":0
		},
		"mappings":{
			"_doc":{
				"properties":{
					"title":{
						"type":"keyword"
					},
					"genre":{
						"type":"keyword"
					},
					"year":{
						"type":"long"
					},
					"director":{
						"type":"keyword"
					}
				}
			}
		}
	}
	`
)

func main() {
	opts := []elastic.ClientOptionFunc{
		// Uncomment next line to show response from Elasticsearch
		//elastic.SetTraceLog(log.New(os.Stdout, "", 0)),
	}
	client, err := elastic.NewClient(opts...)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}

	// Create some sample films
	err = createAndPopulateIndex(client)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}

	// Create a finder
	f := NewFinder()
	// f = f.Year(2014)
	f = f.From(0).Size(100)
	f = f.Pretty(true)

	// Provide a timeout of 5 seconds
	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
	defer cancel()

	// Execute the finder
	res, err := f.Find(ctx, client)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}

	// Output results
	fmt.Printf("Searched through %d films\n", res.Total)
	fmt.Println()
	fmt.Println("Films found:")
	for i, film := range res.Films {
		prefix := "├"
		if i == len(res.Films)-1 {
			prefix = "└"
		}
		fmt.Printf("%s %s from %d\n", prefix, film.Title, film.Year)
	}
	fmt.Println()
	fmt.Println("Broken down by genre:")
	for genre, count := range res.Genres {
		fmt.Printf("- %2d× %s\n", count, genre)
	}
	fmt.Println()
	fmt.Println("Broken down by year and genres:")
	for year, genre := range res.YearsAndGenres {
		fmt.Printf("- %4d\n", year)
		for i, nc := range genre {
			prefix := "├"
			if i == len(genre)-1 {
				prefix = "└"
			}
			fmt.Printf("  %s%2d× %s\n", prefix, nc.Count, nc.Name)
		}
	}
}

// Film represents a movie with some properties.
type Film struct {
	Title    string   `json:"title"`
	Genre    []string `json:"genre"`
	Year     int      `json:"year"`
	Director string   `json:"director"`
}

// Finder specifies a finder for films.
type Finder struct {
	genre      string
	year       int
	from, size int
	sort       []string
	pretty     bool
}

// FinderResponse is the outcome of calling Finder.Find.
type FinderResponse struct {
	Total          int64
	Films          []*Film
	Genres         map[string]int64
	YearsAndGenres map[int][]NameCount // {1994: [{"Crime":1}, {"Drama":2}], ...}
}

// NameCount represents a name associated with a count.
type NameCount struct {
	Name  string
	Count int64
}

// NewFinder creates a new finder for films.
// Use the funcs to set up filters and search properties,
// then call Find to execute.
func NewFinder() *Finder {
	return &Finder{}
}

// Genre filters the results by the given genre.
func (f *Finder) Genre(genre string) *Finder {
	f.genre = genre
	return f
}

// Year filters the results by the specified year.
func (f *Finder) Year(year int) *Finder {
	f.year = year
	return f
}

// From specifies the start index for pagination.
func (f *Finder) From(from int) *Finder {
	f.from = from
	return f
}

// Size specifies the number of items to return in pagination.
func (f *Finder) Size(size int) *Finder {
	f.size = size
	return f
}

// Sort specifies one or more sort orders.
// Use a dash (-) to make the sort order descending.
// Example: "name" or "-year".
func (f *Finder) Sort(sort ...string) *Finder {
	if f.sort == nil {
		f.sort = make([]string, 0)
	}
	f.sort = append(f.sort, sort...)
	return f
}

// Pretty, when enabled, asks the server to return the
// response formatted and indented.
func (f *Finder) Pretty(pretty bool) *Finder {
	f.pretty = pretty
	return f
}

// Find executes the search and returns a response.
func (f *Finder) Find(ctx context.Context, client *elastic.Client) (FinderResponse, error) {
	var resp FinderResponse

	// Create service and use query, aggregations, sort, filter, pagination funcs
	search := client.Search().Index(indexName).Type("_doc").Pretty(f.pretty)
	search = f.query(search)
	search = f.aggs(search)
	search = f.sorting(search)
	search = f.paginate(search)

	// TODO Add other properties here, e.g. timeouts, explain or pretty printing

	// Execute query
	sr, err := search.Do(ctx)
	if err != nil {
		return resp, err
	}

	// Decode response
	films, err := f.decodeFilms(sr)
	if err != nil {
		return resp, err
	}
	resp.Films = films
	resp.Total = sr.Hits.TotalHits

	// Deserialize aggregations
	if agg, found := sr.Aggregations.Terms("all_genres"); found {
		resp.Genres = make(map[string]int64)
		for _, bucket := range agg.Buckets {
			resp.Genres[bucket.Key.(string)] = bucket.DocCount
		}
	}

	// Use the correct function on sr.Aggregations.XXX. It must match the
	// aggregation type specified at query time.
	// See https://github.com/olivere/elastic/blob/release-branch.v6/search_aggs.go
	// for all kinds of aggregation types.
	if agg, found := sr.Aggregations.Terms("years_and_genres"); found {
		resp.YearsAndGenres = make(map[int][]NameCount)
		for _, bucket := range agg.Buckets {
			// JSON doesn't have integer types: All numeric values are float64
			floatValue, ok := bucket.Key.(float64)
			if !ok {
				panic("expected a float64")
			}
			var (
				year          = int(floatValue)
				genresForYear []NameCount
			)
			// Iterate over the sub-aggregation
			if subAgg, found := bucket.Terms("genres_by_year"); found {
				for _, subBucket := range subAgg.Buckets {
					genresForYear = append(genresForYear, NameCount{
						Name:  subBucket.Key.(string),
						Count: subBucket.DocCount,
					})
				}
			}
			resp.YearsAndGenres[year] = genresForYear
		}
	}

	return resp, nil
}

// query sets up the query in the search service.
func (f *Finder) query(service *elastic.SearchService) *elastic.SearchService {
	if f.genre == "" && f.year == 0 {
		service = service.Query(elastic.NewMatchAllQuery())
		return service
	}

	q := elastic.NewBoolQuery()
	if f.genre != "" {
		q = q.Must(elastic.NewTermQuery("genre", f.genre))
	}
	if f.year > 0 {
		q = q.Must(elastic.NewTermQuery("year", f.year))
	}

	// TODO Add other queries and filters here, maybe differentiating between AND/OR etc.

	service = service.Query(q)
	return service
}

// aggs sets up the aggregations in the service.
func (f *Finder) aggs(service *elastic.SearchService) *elastic.SearchService {
	// Terms aggregation by genre
	agg := elastic.NewTermsAggregation().Field("genre")
	service = service.Aggregation("all_genres", agg)

	// Add a terms aggregation of Year, and add a sub-aggregation for Genre
	subAgg := elastic.NewTermsAggregation().Field("genre")
	agg = elastic.NewTermsAggregation().Field("year").
		SubAggregation("genres_by_year", subAgg)
	service = service.Aggregation("years_and_genres", agg)

	return service
}

// paginate sets up pagination in the service.
func (f *Finder) paginate(service *elastic.SearchService) *elastic.SearchService {
	if f.from > 0 {
		service = service.From(f.from)
	}
	if f.size > 0 {
		service = service.Size(f.size)
	}
	return service
}

// sorting applies sorting to the service.
func (f *Finder) sorting(service *elastic.SearchService) *elastic.SearchService {
	if len(f.sort) == 0 {
		// Sort by score by default
		service = service.Sort("_score", false)
		return service
	}

	// Sort by fields; prefix of "-" means: descending sort order.
	for _, s := range f.sort {
		s = strings.TrimSpace(s)

		var field string
		var asc bool

		if strings.HasPrefix(s, "-") {
			field = s[1:]
			asc = false
		} else {
			field = s
			asc = true
		}

		// Maybe check for permitted fields to sort

		service = service.Sort(field, asc)
	}
	return service
}

// decodeFilms takes a search result and deserializes the films.
func (f *Finder) decodeFilms(res *elastic.SearchResult) ([]*Film, error) {
	if res == nil || res.TotalHits() == 0 {
		return nil, nil
	}

	var films []*Film
	for _, hit := range res.Hits.Hits {
		film := new(Film)
		if err := json.Unmarshal(*hit.Source, film); err != nil {
			return nil, err
		}
		// TODO Add Score here, e.g.:
		// film.Score = *hit.Score
		films = append(films, film)
	}
	return films, nil
}

// -- Helpers --

func createAndPopulateIndex(client *elastic.Client) error {
	ctx := context.Background()
	exists, err := client.IndexExists(indexName).Do(ctx)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if exists {
		_, err = client.DeleteIndex(indexName).Do(ctx)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}
	}
	// Create index with mapping
	_, err = client.CreateIndex(indexName).Body(mapping).Do(ctx)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	// Populate some films
	films := []Film{
		{Title: "The Shawshank Redemption", Genre: []string{"Crime", "Drama"}, Year: 1994, Director: "Frank Darabont"},
		{Title: "The Godfather", Genre: []string{"Crime", "Drama"}, Year: 1972, Director: "Francis Ford Coppola"},
		{Title: "The Godfather: Part II", Genre: []string{"Crime", "Drama"}, Year: 1974, Director: "Francis Ford Coppola"},
		{Title: "The Dark Knight", Genre: []string{"Action", "Crime", "Drama"}, Year: 2008, Director: "Christopher Nolan"},
		{Title: "12 Angry Men", Genre: []string{"Crime", "Drama"}, Year: 1957, Director: "Sidney Lumet"},
		{Title: "Schindler's List", Genre: []string{"Biography", "Drama", "History"}, Year: 1993, Director: "Steven Spielberg"},
		{Title: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", Genre: []string{"Adventure", "Drama", "Fantasy"}, Year: 2003, Director: "Peter Jackson"},
		{Title: "Pulp Fiction", Genre: []string{"Crime", "Drama"}, Year: 1994, Director: "Quentin Tarantino"},
		{Title: "Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo", Genre: []string{"Western"}, Year: 1966, Director: "Sergio Leone"},
		{Title: "Fight Club", Genre: []string{"Drama"}, Year: 1999, Director: "David Fincher"},
	}
	for _, film := range films {
		_, err = client.Index().
			Index(indexName).
			Type("_doc").
			BodyJson(film).
			Do(ctx)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}
	}
	_, err = client.Flush(indexName).WaitIfOngoing(true).Do(ctx)
	return err
}

When run with go run main.go, these are the results with Elasticsearch 6.x:

Searched through 10 films

Films found:
├ The Shawshank Redemption from 1994
├ The Godfather from 1972
├ The Godfather: Part II from 1974
├ The Dark Knight from 2008
├ 12 Angry Men from 1957
├ Schindler's List from 1993
├ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King from 2003
├ Pulp Fiction from 1994
├ Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo from 1966
└ Fight Club from 1999

Broken down by genre:
-  1× History
-  1× Western
-  9× Drama
-  6× Crime
-  1× Action
-  1× Adventure
-  1× Biography
-  1× Fantasy

Broken down by year and genres:
- 1972
  ├ 1× Crime
  └ 1× Drama
- 1974
  ├ 1× Crime
  └ 1× Drama
- 1993
  ├ 1× Biography
  ├ 1× Drama
  └ 1× History
- 2003
  ├ 1× Adventure
  ├ 1× Drama
  └ 1× Fantasy
- 1994
  ├ 2× Crime
  └ 2× Drama
- 1957
  ├ 1× Crime
  └ 1× Drama
- 1966
  └ 1× Western
- 1999
  └ 1× Drama
- 2008
  ├ 1× Action
  ├ 1× Crime
  └ 1× Drama
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