Whoosh autocomplete search logging for future analysis

[Radek Svarz]

Hi,

what is the best practice to setup the logging of search autocomplete logging for future analysis? 

When using Whoosh as a search engine and django.

The search is searching within hundred thousands of product names.

We want to get the insight on typos and typical name abbreviations.

The autocomplete searches are performed using AJAX requests to /search/ URL.

Thanks.

[James Schneider]

Wouldn't all of your AJAX requests be logged in your web server access logs, assuming that you are using GET requests for your searches?  You can parse those for analysis.

You could also probably configure Whoosh or whatever calls the search function to write a record in the database with the query, and probably the results, although probably not advisable on heavily trafficked sites or if large result sets are common.

-James

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[Radek Svarz]

Thanks James. In the case of using GET there seams to be plenty of log analyzers, so we have a lot of options.

Any best practice / experience when using POST? 

I understand we can store the query to the DB, even using django model for that. But I am afraid of the performance hit.

Radek

[James Schneider]

You generally would store the necessary information as part of your view, or more likely as part of the form, inside the database for later retrieval.

In your scenario though, your AJAX requests should be using GET or HEAD requests, and even the search form itself should be using a GET action, allowing links to saved searches, but more importantly, capturing the submitted search terms directly in to your logs (although this may require some minor tweaking on your web server to log the extra GET parameters upon the actual form submission).

TL;DR;

Unless you plan on storing the results of the search queries, everything you need would be in your web server access logs with no changes to Django itself.

-James

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