Restore Local Params in Solr 7.5

Local params are a way of modifying Solr's query parser within a query, setting all related parameters with a shorthand syntax. Super convenient for modifying query behaviour on the fly; local params are disabled by default in Solr 7.5, when employing the edismax query parser.

TL;DR

Modify the request handler in solrconfig.xml to add the so-called 'magic field' uf=_query_ back to the uf (User Fields) parameter to restore the kind of local params behaviour that was default prior to Solr 7.5.

<str name="uf">* _query_</str>

The above allows users to do fielded searches on any field, plus allows them to use local params in their queries.

Why Local Params? An Example

Say we are developers who want to use the MoreLikeThis feature of Solr. There are multiple ways of setting this up, as described in the Solr Reference Guide. But, say we are also developers who are using SolrNet to create requests to and handle responses from Solr. (As indeed is the case for use here at Andornot, in our Solr-backed Discovery Interface.)

One of SolrNet's strengths is that it maps Solr responses to strongly-typed classes. On the other hand, its weakness is that you can really only map query result documents to one strongly-typed class. (Not strictly true, but true from a practical, please-don't-make-me-do-contortions point of view.)

No response from Solr can deviate too far from that mapping. Other bits can be tacked on to the response and be handled by SolrNet (highlighting, spellcheck, facets, etc.), but these must be components that are somehow related to the context of the documents in the main response. In the case of MoreLikeThis, you have to set up the component so that each query result document generates a list of 'like' documents. Having to generate such a list for each document returned slows down the query response time and bloats the size of the response. Quite unnecessary, in my opionion. I much prefer to generate the list of 'like' documents on the fly when the user has asked for them. An easy way of doing that without messing with the SolrNet mapping setup is to use local parameters.

Say our user finds an intriguing book in their search results called "More Armadillos Stacked on a Bicycle". Perhaps, our user muses, this book is a sequel to a previous publication regarding such matters. They feel a thrill of anticipation as they click on a 'More Like This' link. (I know I would.)

{ 
   'id': 123, 
   'title': 'More Armadillos Stacked on a Bicycle', 
   'topic': [ 
      'armadillos', 
      'fruitless pursuits', 
      'bicycles' 
   ] 
}

When using local params, the 'More Like This' query can use the same Solr request handler and all the parameters embedded within it, but swap out the query parser for the MLTQParser. The bits that are needed to complete the MoreLikeThis request are passed in via local param syntax, still within the main query parameter! (Perhaps I did not need that exclamation mark, but the armadillos-upon-a-bicycle adrenaline has not yet worn off.)

/select?q={!mlt qf=title,topic mintf=1 mindf=1}123

The local params syntax above says "find other documents like id=123 where extracted keywords from its various fields find matches in title and topic." The convenient part for the developer using SolrNet is that the response maps neatly to the kind of response we expect from a regular query: a set of result documents mapped to a strongly-typed class, which makes the response easy to handle and display using existing mechanisms.

Why Not Local Params?

I suppose we can imagine a clever and malicious user who is able to use the power of local params to hack Solr queries in order to get at information that perhaps they otherwise shouldn't. If, as a developer, you need to ensure that users are limited in their scope, then disabling local params and even further locking down the uf (User Fields) parameter to deny certain fielded searches is right and good.