#Customize search functions

In some scenarios, we need to customize the search function, such as:

• Processing keywords in the search process, such as removing sensitive words.
• Filtering the default full-text search results.
• Reporting the search keywords.
• Customizing the search data source, such as searching from the database.
• Rendering the custom search data source.
• ......

Faced with these flexible custom requirements, we provide corresponding interfaces to extend the search components of the default theme, making it easy for you to customize the search function.

#Understanding searchHooks

In the Rspress config, we provide a search.searchHooks config item for configuring the hook functions of the search components, as follows:

import { defineConfig } from 'rspress/config';
import path from 'path';

export default defineConfig({
  search: {
    searchHooks: path.join(__dirname, './search.tsx'),
  },
});

The value of the search.searchHooks config item is a file path. This file will export the corresponding hook logic, such as onSearch, so that you can customize the capabilities of the search at run time. We can call this file a searchHooks module.

#Hook functions in searchHooks

Next, let us introduce the hook functions in searchHooks, namely beforeSearch, onSearch, afterRender and render.

#beforeSearch

The beforeSearch hook function will be executed before the search starts, you can use it to process the search keywords, such as removing sensitive words, or reporting the search keywords.

This hook supports asynchronous operations.

Here is an example of usage:

import type { BeforeSearch } from 'rspress/theme';

const beforeSearch: BeforeSearch = (query: string) => {
  // Some operations before search can be done here
  console.log('beforeSearch');
  // Return the processed query
  return query.replace(' ', '');
};

export { beforeSearch };

#onSearch

The onSearch hook function will be executed after the default full-text search logic is finished. You can use this hook function to filter or report the search results, or you can add a custom search data source in this hook function.

This hook supports asynchronous operations.

Here is an example of how to use it:

import type { OnSearch } from 'rspress/theme';
import { RenderType } from 'rspress/theme';

const onSearch: OnSearch = async (query, defaultSearchResult) => {
  // Can request data based on query
  console.log(query);
  // The results of the default search source, which is an array
  console.log(defaultSearchResult);
  // const customResult = await searchQuery(query);

  // Can directly operate the default search results.
  defaultSearchResult.pop();

  // The return value is an array, each item in the array is a search source result, and they will be added to the search result
  return [
    {
      group: 'Custom',
      result: {
        list: [
          {
            title: 'Search Result 1',
            path: '/search1',
          },
          {
            title: 'Search Result 2',
            path: '/search2',
          },
        ],
      },
      renderType: RenderType.Custom,
    },
  ];
};

export { onSearch };

Note that the return value of the onSearch hook function is an array, each item in the array is a search source result, and each item has the following structure:

{
  group: string; // The group name of the search result, which will be displayed in the search results.
  result: unknown;
  renderType: RenderType; // The type of the search result, which can be `RenderType.Default` or `RenderType.Custom`. `RenderType.custom` by default.
}

The result is the search result, you can customize its internal structure. The renderType is the type of the search result, which can be RenderType.Default or RenderType.Custom. If it is RenderType.Default, the default search result rendering logic will be used; if it is RenderType.Custom, the render function will be used to render the search result.

#afterSearch

The afterSearch hook function will be executed after the search result is rendered. You can get the final search keywords and search results in this hook.

This hook supports asynchronous operations.

Here is an example of usage:

import type { AfterSearch } from 'rspress/theme';

const afterSearch: AfterSearch = async (query, searchResult) => {
  // Search keyword
  console.log(query);
  // Search result
  console.log(searchResult);
};

export { afterSearch };

#render

The render function will render the custom search source data in your onSearch hook. Therefore, it generally needs to be used together with onSearch. Here's how to use it:

import type { RenderSearchFunction } from 'rspress/theme';

// The above OnSearch hook implementation is skipped

interface ResultData {
  list: {
    title: string;
    path: string;
  }[];
}

// The render function for each search source
const render: RenderSearchFunction<ResultData> = item => {
  return (
    <div>
      {item.list.map(i => (
        <div>
          <a href={i.path}>{i.title}</a>
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
};

export { onSearch, render };

The result is as follows: