Issue #3265881 by ressa, drunken monkey: Fixed and expanded README.md.

Search API 1.x, dev (xxxx-xx-xx):

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- #3265881 by ressa, drunken monkey: Fixed and expanded README.md.

Search API 1.28 (2022-11-07):

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This module provides a framework for easily creating searches on any entity

known to Drupal, using any kind of search engine. For site administrators, it is

a great alternative to other search solutions, since it already incorporates

faceting support (with [Facets] []) and the ability to use the Views

faceting support (with [Facets]) and the ability to use the Views

module for displaying search results, filters, etc. Also, with the

[Apache Solr integration] [], a high-performance search engine is

[Apache Solr integration], a high-performance search engine is

available for this module.

[Facets]: https://www.drupal.org/project/facets

additional contrib modules, providing additional functionality or helping users

customize some aspects of the search process.

- For a full description of the module, visit the [project page] [].

- For a full description of the module, visit the [project page].

- To submit bug reports and feature suggestions, or to track changes, use the

  [issue queue] [].

  [issue queue].

[Project page]: https://www.drupal.org/project/search_api

[issue queue]: https://www.drupal.org/project/issues/search_api

## Installation

- Install as you would normally install a contributed Drupal module. For further

  information, see _[Installing Drupal Modules] []_.

  information, see _[Installing Drupal Modules]_.

[Installing Drupal Modules]: https://www.drupal.org/docs/extending-drupal/installing-drupal-modules

Otherwise, you need to enable at least a module providing integration with a

search backend (like database, Solr, Elasticsearch, …). Possible options are

listed at _[Server backends and features] []_.

listed at _[Server backends and features]_.

[Server backends and features]: https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/modules/search-api/getting-started/server-backends-and-features

Then, go to `/admin/config/search/search-api` on your site and create a search

server and search index. Afterwards, you can create a view based on your index

to enable users to search the content you configured to be indexed. More details

are available in _[Getting started] []_. There, you can also find answers to

[frequently asked questions] [] and [common pitfalls] [] to avoid.

are available in _[Getting started]_. There, you can also find answers to

[frequently asked questions] and [common pitfalls] to avoid.

[Getting started]: https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/modules/search-api/getting-started

[frequently asked questions]: https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/modules/search-api/getting-started/frequently-asked-questions

directory in which you can find their definition files (interface, plugin base

and plugin manager):

- Backends: `src/Backend`

- Datasources: `src/Datasource`

- Data types: `src/DataType`

- Displays: `src/Display`

- Parse modes: `src/ParseMode`

- Processors: `src/Processor`

- Trackers: `src/Tracker`

| Plugin type | Directory        |

|-------------|------------------|

| Backends    | `src/Backend`    |

| Datasources | `src/Datasource` |

| Data types  | `src/DataType`   |

| Displays    | `src/Display`    |

| Parse modes | `src/ParseMode`  |

| Processors  | `src/Processor`  |

| Trackers    | `src/Tracker`    |

The display plugins are a bit of a special case there, because they aren’t

really “extending” the framework, but are rather a way of telling the Search API

[Developers handbook]: https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/modules/search-api/developer-documentation

To know which parts of the module can be relied upon as its public API, please

read the [Drupal 8 backwards compatibility and internal API policy]

[core BC policy] and the module’s issue regarding

read the [Drupal 8 backwards compatibility and internal API policy][core BC policy] and the module’s issue regarding

[potential module-specific changes to that policy][module BC policy].

[Core BC policy]: https://www.drupal.org/core/d8-bc-policy

Server backend features are a way for other contrib modules to cleanly define

ways in which the Search API can be extended. For more information, see

_[Server backends and features] []_.

_[Server backends and features]_.

The Search API module itself currently defines one feature:

The Search API module itself currently defines two features:

- More Like This (`search_api_mlt`)

  This feature can be used to retrieve a list of search results that are similar

  The feature can be used in the UI via the “More like this” Views contextual

  filter.

- Random Sort (`search_api_random_sort`)

  This feature allows sorting a search query randomly. Backends supporting this

  feature should accept sorts on field `search_api_random` and, if present,

  apply a random sort to the search query. Optionally, they can also check the

  `search_api_random_sort` query option for additional specifications, which (if

  present) will be an associative array with any of the following keys:

  - `seed`: The seed value to use for the random function. This is important to

    support proper paging for randomly sorted search results.

## Maintainers