perf(search): Add alternative search using joins for search subqueries

[cristijora]

Search Performance Optimization config option

Overview

By default, when searching through BelongsTo relationship fields, Laravel Restify uses subqueries which can be slow for large datasets:

-- Default behavior (subqueries)
SELECT * FROM `invoices` WHERE (
    UPPER(`invoices`.`gross_amount`) LIKE '%CSC%'
    OR (SELECT `vendors`.`code` FROM `vendors` WHERE `vendors`.`id` = `invoices`.`vendor_id` LIMIT 1) LIKE '%csc%'
    OR (SELECT `vendors`.`name` FROM `vendors` WHERE `vendors`.`id` = `invoices`.`vendor_id` LIMIT 1) LIKE '%csc%'
)

With JOIN optimization enabled, these become efficient JOIN-based queries:

-- Optimized behavior (JOINs)
SELECT invoices.* FROM `invoices`
LEFT JOIN `vendors` AS vendors_for_vendor ON invoices.vendor_id = vendors_for_vendor.id
WHERE (
    UPPER(invoices.gross_amount) LIKE '%CSC%'
    OR UPPER(vendors_for_vendor.code) LIKE '%CSC%'
    OR UPPER(vendors_for_vendor.name) LIKE '%CSC%'
)

Configuration

Enabling JOIN Optimization

Add the following to your .env file:

RESTIFY_SEARCH_USE_JOINS=true

Or configure it directly in config/restify.php:

'search' => [
    'case_sensitive' => true,
    'use_joins' => true, // Enable JOIN optimization
],

Default Behavior

By default, JOIN optimization is disabled to maintain backward compatibility. The system will continue using subqueries until explicitly enabled.

[what-the-diff]

PR Summary

• Configuration Update
  A newly added setting 'use_joins' in config/restify.php will enable a search optimization technique for related 'BelongsTo' fields. This improvement can speed up data search processes significantly.

• Documentation Addition
  A document was created, docs/eager-loading-optimization.md, that explains the new search optimization and how to configure it. The document also covers the benefits of using this feature and how to test it.

• Search Mechanism Improved
  The SearchableFilter class was modified to use our new optimization method for search queries. This change makes the system more efficient by replacing the previous method used for connected models.

• RepositorySearchService Update
  The way RepositorySearchService handles data has been improved. It is now smarter and avoids processing repeated data when using the new optimization.

• Utility Addition
  A new method getJoinedRelationships was added to RepositorySearchService to help track data relations. This function adds depth to the optimization by keeping tabs on the connections in the database.

• Testing Update
  New tests tests/Unit/RelatedEagerLoadingTest.php were added to ensure the optimization feature is functioning correctly. They measure the reduction in database inquiries and verify effective data relation handling.

---

• New Testing Class
  Another class SearchableFilterTest was added in the tests/Unit directory for rigorous testing.

• Testing Environment Update
  The setup configuration for restify.search.use_joins, integral to the optimization feature, is reset during setUp and tearDown testing phases.

• Testing Methods Added
  Several new methods were added to further test the new feature. These methods scrutinize different aspects of the optimization process, verifying that it defaults to the old method when necessary and accurately handles different types of data fields. The tests confirm that the new feature operates as expected and beneficially adjusts the database queries.