Search ​

Finding what you're looking for fast is essential. That's why Avo leverages ransack's powerful query language.

First, you need to add ransack as a dependency to your app (breaking change from Avo v1.10).

# Gemfile
gem 'ransack'

Enable search for a resource ​

To enable search for a resource, you need to configure the search class attribute to the resource file.

class Avo::Resources::User < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(name_eq: params[:q]).result(distinct: false) }
  }
end

The query block passes over the params object that holds the q param, the actual query string. It also provides the query variable on which you run the query. That ensures that the authorization scopes have been appropriately applied.

In this block, you may configure the search however strict or loose you need it. Check out ransack's search matchers to compose the query better.

Authorize search ​

Since Avo 2.29 search is authorized in policy files using the search? method.

class UserPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
  def search?
    true
  end
end

If the search? method returns false, the search operation for that resource is not going to show up in the global search and the search box on index is not going to be displayed.

If you're using search? already in your policy file, you can alias it to some other method in you initializer using the config.authorization_methods config. More about that on the authorization page.

Avo.configure do |config|
  config.authorization_methods = {
    search: 'avo_search?',
  }
  end

Configure the search result ​

-> title

By default, the search results will be displayed as text. By default search title will be the resource title.

You may configure that to be something more complex using the card -> title option. That will display it as the title of the search result.

ruby

class Avo::Resources::Post < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(name_cont: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false) },
    item: -> do
      {
        title: "[#{record.id}]#{record.name}",
      }
    end
  }
end

-> description

License: Pro

You might want to show more than just the title in the search result. Avo provides the card -> description option to add some more information.

ruby

class Avo::Resources::Post < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(name_cont: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false) },
    item:  -> do
      {
        title: "[#{record.id}]#{record.name}",
        description: record.truncated_body
      }
    end
  }
end

-> image_url

License: Pro

You may improve the results listing by adding an image to each search result. You do that by using the card -> image_url attribute that is an url to a image.

ruby

class Avo::Resources::Post < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(name_cont: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false) },
    item: -> do
      {
        title: "[#{record.id}]#{record.name}",
        description: ActionView::Base.full_sanitizer.sanitize(record.body).truncate(130),
        image_url: main_app.url_for(record.cover_photo),
      }
    end
  }
end

-> image_format

License: Pro

The image you add to a search result can have a different format based on what you set on the card -> image_format attribute. You may choose between three options: :square, :rounded or :circle.

ruby

class Avo::Resources::Post < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(name_cont: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false) },
    item: -> do
      {
        title: "[#{record.id}]#{record.name}",
        description: ActionView::Base.full_sanitizer.sanitize(record.body).truncate(130),
        image_url: main_app.url_for(record.cover_photo),
        image_format: :rounded
      }
    end
  }
end

-> help

You may improve the results listing header by adding a piece of text highlighting the fields you are looking for or any other instruction for the user. You do that by using the help attribute. This attribute takes a string and appends it to the title of the resource.

ruby

class Avo::Resources::Post < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(id_eq: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false) },
    help: -> { "- search by id" }
  }
end

-> result_path

class Avo::Resources::City < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(name_eq: params[:q]).result(distinct: false) },
    result_path: -> { avo.resources_city_path record, custom: "yup" }
  }
end

-> hide_on_global

class Avo::Resources::TeamMembership < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> { query.ransack(id_eq: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false) },
    item: -> do
      {
        description: record.level,
      }
    end,
    hide_on_global: true
  }
end

Resource search ​

When a resource has the search attribute with a valid configuration, a new search input will be displayed on the Index view.

Global search ​

Avo also has a global search feature. It will search through all the resources that have the search attribute with a valid configuration.

You open the global search input by clicking the trigger on the navbar or by using the CMD + K keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + K on Windows).

Hide the global search ​

If you, by any chance, want to hide the global search, you can do so using this setting 👇

# config/initializers/avo.rb
Avo.configure do |config|
  config.disabled_features = [:global_search]
end

Scope out global or resource searches ​

You may want to perform different searches on the global search from the resource search. You may use the params[:global] flag to figure that out.

class Avo::Resources::Order < Avo::BaseResource
  self.search = {
    query: -> {
      if params[:global]
        # Perform global search
        query.ransack(id_eq: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false)
      else
        # Perform resource search
        query.ransack(id_eq: params[:q], details_cont: params[:q], m: "or").result(distinct: false)
      end
    }
  }
end