Talk:Creating a search plugin

<?php
//First start with information about the Plugin and yourself. For example:
/**
 * @version             $Id: nameofplugin.php versionnumber date author
 * @copyright           Copyright
 * @license             License, for example GNU/GPL
 * All other information you would like to add
 */
 
//To prevent accessing the document directly, enter this code:
// no direct access
defined( '_JEXEC' ) or die( 'Restricted access' );
 
// Import library dependencies
jimport('joomla.plugin.plugin');
 
//Load the language file. Replace 'nameofplugin' with the name of your plugin.
JPlugin::loadLanguage( 'plg_search_nameofplugin' );
 
class plgSearchnameofplugin extends JPlugin {
 
        /**
         * plugin 'areas', i.e. it's differents search sections
         * for this example, we us only one section, but you could have several (e.g: articles, categories, author...)
         * @var array
         */
        var $_areas  = array(
                'mypluginsearcha' => 'PLG_MYSEARCHPLUGIN_AREA_A'
        ); 
 
        /**
         * Handles onSearchAreas Event
         *
         * @return array
         */
        function onSearchAreas()
        {
                return $this->_areas;
        }
 
        /** 
         * Handles onSearchAreas event
         * 
         * @param string $text the text to search
         * @param string $phrase the type of search (exact/all/any)
         * @param string $ordering ordering of the results (alpha/newest/...)
         * @param array $areas areas to be search
         * @return array matches
         */
        function onSearch( $text, $phrase='', $ordering='', $areas=null )
        {
                $db             =& JFactory::getDBO();
                $user   =& JFactory::getUser(); 
 
                //If the array is not correct, return it:
                if (is_array( $areas )) {
                        if (!array_intersect( $areas, array_keys( $this->_areas ) )) {
                                return array();
                        }
                }
 
                //Define the parameters. First get the right plugin; 'search' (the group), 'nameofplugin'. 
                $plugin =& JPluginHelper::getPlugin('search', 'nameofplugin');
 
                //Then load the parameters of the plugin.
                $pluginParams = new JParameter( $plugin->params );
 
                //Now define the parameters like this:
                $limit = $pluginParams->def( 'nameofparameter', defaultsetting );
 
                //Use the function trim to delete spaces in front of or at the back of the searching terms
                $text = trim( $text );
 
                //Return Array when nothing was filled in.
                if ($text == '') {
                        return array();
                }
 
                // After this, you have to add the database part. This will be the most difficult part, because this changes per situation.
                // In the coding examples later on you will find some of the examples used by Joomla! 1.5 core Search Plugins.
                // in case of multiple sectionS, just repeat and adapt for each, merging each section results, 
                // and filtering with an if statement: if (!$areas || in_array('mypluginsearcha', $areas))) {...}
                // It will look something like this, if you have only one section 
                $wheres = array();
                switch ($phrase) {
 
                        //search exact
                        case 'exact':
                                $text           = $db->Quote( '%'.$db->getEscaped( $text, true ).'%', false );
                                $wheres2        = array();
                                $wheres2[]      = 'LOWER(a.name) LIKE '.$text;
                                $where          = '(' . implode( ') OR (', $wheres2 ) . ')';
                                break;
 
                        //search all or any
                        case 'all':
                        case 'any':
 
                        //set default
                        default:
                                $words  = explode( ' ', $text );
                                $wheres = array();
                                foreach ($words as $word)
                                {
                                        $word           = $db->Quote( '%'.$db->getEscaped( $word, true ).'%', false );
                                        $wheres2        = array();
                                        $wheres2[]      = 'LOWER(a.name) LIKE '.$word;
                                        $wheres[]       = implode( ' OR ', $wheres2 );
                                }
                                $where = '(' . implode( ($phrase == 'all' ? ') AND (' : ') OR ('), $wheres ) . ')';
                                break;
                }
 
                //ordering of the results
                switch ( $ordering ) {
 
                        //alphabetic, ascending
                        case 'alpha':
                                $order = 'a.name ASC';
                                break;
 
                        //oldest first
                        case 'oldest':
 
                        //popular first
                        case 'popular':
 
                        //newest first
                        case 'newest':
 
                        //default setting: alphabetic, ascending
                        default:
                                $order = 'a.name ASC';
                }
 
                //replace nameofplugin
                $searchNameofplugin = JText::_( 'Nameofplugin' );
 
                //the database query; differs per situation! It will look something like this:
                $query = 'SELECT a.name AS title,'
                . ' CONCAT_WS( " / ", '. $db->Quote($searchNameofplugin) .', b.title )AS section,'
                . ' "1" AS browsernav'
                . ' FROM #__nameofplugin AS a'
                . ' INNER JOIN #__categories AS b ON b.id = a.catid'
                . ' WHERE ( '. $where .' )'
                . ' AND a.published = 1'
                . ' AND b.access <= '. (int) $user->get( 'aid' )
                . ' ORDER BY '. $order
                ;
 
                //Set query
                $db->setQuery( $query, 0, $limit );
                $rows = $db->loadObjectList();
 
                //The 'output' of the displayed link
                foreach($rows as $key => $row) {
                        $rows[$key]->href = 'index.php?option=com_newsfeeds&view=newsfeed&catid='.$row->catslug.'&id='.$row->slug;
                }
 
                //Return the search results in an array
                return $rows;
        }
}