Sunspot - Retry search on partialResults

gistfile1.rb

# Sample code using Sunspot 1.2.1 to retry a search when partialResults=true
#
# I hope this code will be somewhat deprecated in Sunspot 1.2.2, since we have to
# use instance_eval to access the otherwise inaccessible @solr_response instance variable.
#

class Post

  # ...

  searchable do
    # your Sunspot search setup
  end

  # ...

  def self.search(params={})
    
    retry_search = true
    search_count = 0
    
    while retry_search && search_count < 2
      search_count = search_count + 1
      search = Post.solr_search do
        # your search code here
      end
      solr_response = search.instance_eval("@solr_result")
      retry_search = solr_response["responseHeader"]["partialResults"] == true
      search
    end
  end

end

I'm trying this with websolr on Heroku and I don't get responseHeader in solr_response. I only get keys: numFound, start, maxScore and docs. Is there another way to check if results are partial?

If you're not getting partialResults in the header, then you're all set. That means Solr had all the time it needed to search your full index.

I don't get the header at all. And I'm pretty sure I get partial results, cause the results are blank and with the exact same query ran for the second time I get proper results.

You should fire up a ticket at http://help.websolr.com/ for something like that (sounds like replication latency to me)

Ok, thanks, will do!

robzon, any progress? I also don't get the header at all.

Nope, filed a bug report but no response yet. As our database grew we now get first query with blank results 100% of time. For now I simply retry searching twice if there are no results and that works well (from user perspective). Will let you know when we get the proper fix.

Just updated this gist to correct an error. You should check solr_result, not solr_response, as per Sunspot's abstract_search.rb.