Hello
FLEXIcontent advanced search index is a PHP/mysql implementation that requires no additional setup on your websites.
BUT for 50,000 + (or 10,000 + for faster performance) items it maybe preferable to use a solution like
Apache solr/lucene OR Sphinx
NOW compared to Joomla smart-search
-- FLEXIcontent advanced search indexing/re-indexing multiple times faster than Joomla Smart Search Index,
-- FLEXIcontent advanced search queries are slower than Joomla search index, but they provided FACETED search (accounting of found results)
ABOUT solr or Sphinx
- yes indeed,
Apache solr /Sphinx is multiple times faster than MySQL fulltext search, and is the only way to go if you have 100,000 + items !! also for 20,000 + items it will make your searches much faster
-- to use apache solr we would need to
A.
add a new plugin to push data into an apache solr index
- on item save
- or when rebuilding the index
B.
add support for it to the FLEXIcontent search view,
-- indeed this is feasible, but i do not know the amount of work it involves without studying the Solr DOCs