Ufdjrw

I'll simplify my issue. Let's say I have an index with 3 documents I've created with Kibana:

PUT /test/vendors/1

 "type": "doctor",
 "name": "Phil",
 "works_in": [
 
 "place": "Chicago" 
 ,
 
 "place": "New York"
 
 ]


PUT /test/vendors/2

 "type": "lawyer",
 "name": "John",
 "works_in": [
 
 "place": "Chicago" 
 ,
 
 "place": "New Jersey"
 
 ]


PUT /test/vendors/3

 "type": "doctor",
 "name": "Jill",
 "works_in": [
 
 "place": "Chicago" 
 
 ]

Now I'm running a search:

GET /test/_search

 "query": 
 "multi_match" : 
 "query": "doctor in chicago", 
 "fields": [ "type", "place" ] 
 
 

And I'm getting a good response:

 "took": 4,
 "timed_out": false,
 "_shards": 
 "total": 5,
 "successful": 5,
 "skipped": 0,
 "failed": 0
 ,
 "hits": 
 "total": 2,
 "max_score": 0.2876821,
 "hits": [
 
 "_index": "test",
 "_type": "vendors",
 "_id": "1",
 "_score": 0.2876821,
 "_source": 
 "type": "doctor",
 "name": "Phil",
 "works_in": [
 
 "place": "Chicago"
 ,
 
 "place": "New York"
 
 ]
 
 ,
 
 "_index": "test",
 "_type": "vendors",
 "_id": "3",
 "_score": 0.2876821,
 "_source": 
 "type": "doctor",
 "name": "Jill",
 "works_in": [
 
 "place": "Chicago"
 
 ]
 
 
 ]
 

Now things begin to get problematic...

Changed the doctor to doctors

GET /test/_search

 "query": 
 "multi_match" : 
 "query": "doctors in chicago", 
 "fields": [ "type", "place" ] 
 
 

Zero results as doctors not found. Elastic doesn't know about plural vs. singular.

Change the query to New York

GET /test/_search

 "query": 
 "multi_match" : 
 "query": "doctor in new york", 
 "fields": [ "type", "place" ] 
 
 

But the response result set gives me the doctor in Chicago in addition to the doctor in New York. the fields are matched with OR...

Another interesting question is, what happens if someone usesdocs or physicians or health professionals but means doctor. IS there a provision where I can teach Elasticsearch to funnel those into "doctor"?

Is there any pattern, way around these using elasticsearch alone? where I won't have to analyze the string for meaning in my own application which will then construct a complex exact elasticsearch query to match it?

I would appreciate any pointer in the right direction

I'm assuming that the fields type and place are of Text type with Standard Analyzers.

To manage singular/plurals, what you are looking for is called Snowball Token Filter which you would need to add to the mapping.

Another requirement that you've mentioned saying for e.g. physicians should also be equated as doctor, you need to make use of Synonym Token Filter

Below is how your mapping should be. Note that I've just added analyzer to type. You can make similar changes to the mapping to the other fields.

Mapping

PUT <your_index_name>
 
 "settings": 
 "analysis": 
 "analyzer": 
 "my_analyzer": 
 "tokenizer":"standard",
 "filter":[ 
 "lowercase",
 "my_snow",
 "my_synonym"
 ]
 
 ,
 "filter": 
 "my_snow": 
 "type":"snowball",
 "language":"English"
 ,
 "my_synonym": 
 "type":"synonym",
 "synonyms":[ 
 "docs, physicians, health professionals, doctor"
 ]
 
 
 
 ,
 "mappings": 
 "mydocs": 
 "properties": 
 "type": 
 "type":"text",
 "analyzer":"my_analyzer"
 ,
 "place": 
 "type":"text",
 "analyzer":"my_analyzer"
 
 
 
 

Notice how I've added the synonyms in the mapping itself, instead of that I'd suggest you to have the synonyms added in text file like below

 
 "type":"synonym",
 "synonyms_path" : "analysis/synonym.txt"

According to the link I've shared, it mentions that the above configures a synonym filter, with a path of analysis/synonym.txt (relative to the config location).

Hope it helps!