Term Search module - can we utilize it?

Hmmmm.

I have tested rewritten synonyms module in cooperation with Term Search module.

Term Search module has nice and clean drupal friendly mood.

It adds new "Search index" Display setting to Vocabulary's "Manage display" page and enables it by default.

It also enables all Vocabulary fields to participate in Search index by default. Each field can be hidden from Search index of course by moving to "Hidden" section.

For test purpose I have added field Synonym and enabled it as synonym field at Tags vocabulary settings page.

I have also added one term into tags vocabulary: Name: term1; Synonym: synonym1

Searching terms works. If I search terms by synonym name "synonym1" it displays "term1" in search results. That's nice. Synonyms module doesn't have such functionality I think. It would be a nice addition to be able to search terms by it's synonym value.

However, If I search Nodes by synonym value "synonym1" it does not display nodes with term reference field containing term "term1" in search results. So, Field Search module has done some job, but there will be some custom coding as well if we want to use it for Synonyms' search functionality.

Therefore, removing Synonyms search functionality completely and depending for search functionality on Term Search module only is not an option any more.

But creating "Synonyms Search" submodule which utilize Term Search functionality and adds some of it's own custom code to acomplish synonyms search on nodes... is still an option.

And, who knows... maybe feature request could be requested to Term Search module maintainer for new feature to be included into Term Search module. If he gets some help from you (and I can make some tests) in the form of tested patch ready to be commited he will not have any objections to implement such a feature... probably. :)

I understand that these two modules search implementations are completely different currently. And that using Term Search as a base for Synonyms node search would require a complete rewrite of Synonyms node search functionality.

It just seems to me that Term Search module could be used as a base for Synonyms node search functionality because it is done nicely and flexible. So, maybe its term search (by synonyms) functionality can be easily expanded (one step further) to cover node search (by synonyms) usecase. But, how complex would it be to write such "Synonyms Search" (node search) submodule (based and dependant on Term Search) I don't know. :)

It would be nice to remove completely Synonyms current node search functionality - less code to design, maintain, support and bugfix in the future.

But if it's too complicate to do rewrite and make "Synonyms Search" nodes search submodule as described above - we can keep current Synonyms node search functionality of course.

What I would do is the following: I would integrate Synonyms and Term Search, so that the taxonomy terms can be found when searched for one of their synonyms. It will not require modifications in Term Search module (at least I have this feeling after reading their project description).

Yes, it would be nice new feature covered by Synonyms module (Term search by synonym).

It could be done by just referencing Term Search module in documentation - without any coding at all.

But if you would like to make tighter, automatic functionality connection - that would be even better. :)

Tested patch #9.

Nice. :)

It works just as you have described.

One documentation correction:

This quote is from #9 patch:

Synonyms Search submodule also integrates with Taxonomy Search contributed module in fashion that allows your terms to be found by their synonyms.

Correct name of module is "Term Search" - not "Taxonomy Search".

Taxonomy Search module exists as well - but it is developed for D5 only.

If there are some more "Taxonomy Search" phrases used in visible documentation lines instead of "Term Search" they should be replaced as well.