Text Search Functions and Operators
| PostgreSQL 9.6.15 Documentation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Prev | Up | Chapter 9. Functions and Operators | Next | 
Table 9-39 , Table 9-40 and Table 9-41 summarize the functions and operators that are provided for full text searching. See Chapter 12 for a detailed explanation of PostgreSQL 's text search facility.
Table 9-39. Text Search Operators
| Operator | Return Type | Description | Example | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @@ | boolean | tsvector matches tsquery ? | to_tsvector('fat cats ate rats') @@ to_tsquery('cat & rat') | t | 
| @@@ | boolean | deprecated synonym for @@ | to_tsvector('fat cats ate rats') @@@ to_tsquery('cat & rat') | t | 
| || | tsvector | concatenate tsvector s | 'a:1 b:2'::tsvector || 'c:1 d:2 b:3'::tsvector | 'a':1 'b':2,5 'c':3 'd':4 | 
| && | tsquery | AND tsquery s together | 'fat | rat'::tsquery && 'cat'::tsquery | ( 'fat' | 'rat' ) & 'cat' | 
| || | tsquery | OR tsquery s together | 'fat | rat'::tsquery || 'cat'::tsquery | ( 'fat' | 'rat' ) | 'cat' | 
| !! | tsquery | negate a tsquery | !! 'cat'::tsquery | !'cat' | 
| <-> | tsquery | tsquery followed by tsquery | to_tsquery('fat') <-> to_tsquery('rat') | 'fat' <-> 'rat' | 
| @> | boolean | tsquery contains another ? | 'cat'::tsquery @> 'cat & rat'::tsquery | f | 
| <@ | boolean | tsquery is contained in ? | 'cat'::tsquery <@ 'cat & rat'::tsquery | t | 
Note: The tsquery containment operators consider only the lexemes listed in the two queries, ignoring the combining operators.
In addition to the operators shown in the table, the ordinary B-tree comparison operators ( = , < , etc) are defined for types tsvector and tsquery . These are not very useful for text searching but allow, for example, unique indexes to be built on columns of these types.
Table 9-40. Text Search Functions
| Function | Return Type | Description | Example | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
      
       
        array_to_tsvector(
        
         text[]
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | convert array of lexemes to tsvector | array_to_tsvector('{fat,cat,rat}'::text[]) | 'cat' 'fat' 'rat' | 
      
       
        get_current_ts_config()
       
      
      | 
     regconfig | get default text search configuration | get_current_ts_config() | english | 
      
       
        length(
        
         tsvector
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     integer | number of lexemes in tsvector | length('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5A'::tsvector) | 3 | 
      
       
        numnode(
        
         tsquery
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     integer | number of lexemes plus operators in tsquery | numnode('(fat & rat) | cat'::tsquery) | 5 | 
      
       
        plainto_tsquery([
        
         
          
           config
          
         
         
          regconfig
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | produce tsquery ignoring punctuation | plainto_tsquery('english', 'The Fat Rats') | 'fat' & 'rat' | 
      
       
        phraseto_tsquery([
        
         
          
           config
          
         
         
          regconfig
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | produce tsquery that searches for a phrase, ignoring punctuation | phraseto_tsquery('english', 'The Fat Rats') | 'fat' <-> 'rat' | 
      
       
        querytree(
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     text | get indexable part of a tsquery | querytree('foo & ! bar'::tsquery) | 'foo' | 
      
       
        setweight(
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          weight
         
        
        
         "char"
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | assign weight to each element of vector | setweight('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5B'::tsvector, 'A') | 'cat':3A 'fat':2A,4A 'rat':5A | 
      
       
        setweight(
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          weight
         
        
        
         "char"
        
        ,
        
         
          lexemes
         
        
        
         text[]
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | assign weight to elements of vector that are listed in lexemes | setweight('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5B'::tsvector, 'A', '{cat,rat}') | 'cat':3A 'fat':2,4 'rat':5A | 
      
       
        strip(
        
         tsvector
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | remove positions and weights from tsvector | strip('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5A'::tsvector) | 'cat' 'fat' 'rat' | 
      
       
        to_tsquery([
        
         
          
           config
          
         
         
          regconfig
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | normalize words and convert to tsquery | to_tsquery('english', 'The & Fat & Rats') | 'fat' & 'rat' | 
      
       
        to_tsvector([
        
         
          
           config
          
         
         
          regconfig
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          document
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | reduce document text to tsvector | to_tsvector('english', 'The Fat Rats') | 'fat':2 'rat':3 | 
      
       
        ts_delete(
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          lexeme
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | remove given lexeme from vector | ts_delete('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5A'::tsvector, 'fat') | 'cat':3 'rat':5A | 
      
       
        ts_delete(
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          lexemes
         
        
        
         text[]
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | remove any occurrence of lexemes in lexemes from vector | ts_delete('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5A'::tsvector, ARRAY['fat','rat']) | 'cat':3 | 
      
       
        ts_filter(
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          weights
         
        
        
         "char"[]
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsvector | select only elements with given weights from vector | ts_filter('fat:2,4 cat:3b rat:5A'::tsvector, '{a,b}') | 'cat':3B 'rat':5A | 
      
       
        ts_headline([
        
         
          
           config
          
         
         
          regconfig
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          document
         
        
        
         text
        
        ,
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        [
        
         ,
         
          
           options
          
         
         
          text
         
        
        ])
       
      
      | 
     text | display a query match | ts_headline('x y z', 'z'::tsquery) | x y z | 
      
       
        ts_rank([
        
         
          
           weights
          
         
         
          float4[]
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        [
        
         ,
         
          
           normalization
          
         
         
          integer
         
        
        ])
       
      
      | 
     float4 | rank document for query | ts_rank(textsearch, query) | 0.818 | 
      
       
        ts_rank_cd([
        
         
          
           weights
          
         
         
          float4[]
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          vector
         
        
        
         tsvector
        
        ,
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        [
        
         ,
         
          
           normalization
          
         
         
          integer
         
        
        ])
       
      
      | 
     float4 | rank document for query using cover density | ts_rank_cd('{0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 1.0}', textsearch, query) | 2.01317 | 
      
       
        ts_rewrite(
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        ,
        
         
          target
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        ,
        
         
          substitute
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | replace target with substitute within query | ts_rewrite('a & b'::tsquery, 'a'::tsquery, 'foo|bar'::tsquery) | 'b' & ( 'foo' | 'bar' ) | 
      
       
        ts_rewrite(
        
         
          query
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        ,
        
         
          select
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | replace using targets and substitutes from a SELECT command | SELECT ts_rewrite('a & b'::tsquery, 'SELECT t,s FROM aliases') | 'b' & ( 'foo' | 'bar' ) | 
      
       
        tsquery_phrase(
        
         
          query1
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        ,
        
         
          query2
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | make query that searches for query1 followed by query2 (same as <-> operator) | tsquery_phrase(to_tsquery('fat'), to_tsquery('cat')) | 'fat' <-> 'cat' | 
      
       
        tsquery_phrase(
        
         
          query1
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        ,
        
         
          query2
         
        
        
         tsquery
        
        ,
        
         
          distance
         
        
        
         integer
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     tsquery | make query that searches for query1 followed by query2 at distance distance | tsquery_phrase(to_tsquery('fat'), to_tsquery('cat'), 10) | 'fat' <10> 'cat' | 
      
       
        tsvector_to_array(
        
         tsvector
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     text[] | convert tsvector to array of lexemes | tsvector_to_array('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5A'::tsvector) | {cat,fat,rat} | 
      
       
        tsvector_update_trigger()
       
      
      | 
     trigger | trigger function for automatic tsvector column update | CREATE TRIGGER ... tsvector_update_trigger(tsvcol, 'pg_catalog.swedish', title, body) | |
      
       
        tsvector_update_trigger_column()
       
      
      | 
     trigger | trigger function for automatic tsvector column update | CREATE TRIGGER ... tsvector_update_trigger_column(tsvcol, configcol, title, body) | |
      
       
        unnest(
        
         tsvector
        
        , OUT
        
         
          lexeme
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          positions
         
        
        
         smallint[]
        
        , OUT
        
         
          weights
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | expand a tsvector to a set of rows | unnest('fat:2,4 cat:3 rat:5A'::tsvector) | (cat,{3},{D}) ... | 
Note: All the text search functions that accept an optional regconfig argument will use the configuration specified by default_text_search_config when that argument is omitted.
The functions in Table 9-41 are listed separately because they are not usually used in everyday text searching operations. They are helpful for development and debugging of new text search configurations.
Table 9-41. Text Search Debugging Functions
| Function | Return Type | Description | Example | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
      
       
        ts_debug([
        
         
          
           config
          
         
         
          regconfig
         
         ,
        
        ]
        
         
          document
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          alias
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          description
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          token
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          dictionaries
         
        
        
         regdictionary[]
        
        , OUT
        
         
          dictionary
         
        
        
         regdictionary
        
        , OUT
        
         
          lexemes
         
        
        
         text[]
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | test a configuration | ts_debug('english', 'The Brightest supernovaes') | (asciiword,"Word, all ASCII",The,{english_stem},english_stem,{}) ... | 
      
       
        ts_lexize(
        
         
          dict
         
        
        
         regdictionary
        
        ,
        
         
          token
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     text[] | test a dictionary | ts_lexize('english_stem', 'stars') | {star} | 
      
       
        ts_parse(
        
         
          parser_name
         
        
        
         text
        
        ,
        
         
          document
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          tokid
         
        
        
         integer
        
        , OUT
        
         
          token
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | test a parser | ts_parse('default', 'foo - bar') | (1,foo) ... | 
      
       
        ts_parse(
        
         
          parser_oid
         
        
        
         oid
        
        ,
        
         
          document
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          tokid
         
        
        
         integer
        
        , OUT
        
         
          token
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | test a parser | ts_parse(3722, 'foo - bar') | (1,foo) ... | 
      
       
        ts_token_type(
        
         
          parser_name
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          tokid
         
        
        
         integer
        
        , OUT
        
         
          alias
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          description
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | get token types defined by parser | ts_token_type('default') | (1,asciiword,"Word, all ASCII") ... | 
      
       
        ts_token_type(
        
         
          parser_oid
         
        
        
         oid
        
        , OUT
        
         
          tokid
         
        
        
         integer
        
        , OUT
        
         
          alias
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          description
         
        
        
         text
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | get token types defined by parser | ts_token_type(3722) | (1,asciiword,"Word, all ASCII") ... | 
      
       
        ts_stat(
        
         
          sqlquery
         
        
        
         text
        
        , [
        
         
          
           weights
          
         
         
          text
         
         ,
        
        ] OUT
        
         
          word
         
        
        
         text
        
        , OUT
        
         
          ndoc
         
        
        
         integer
        
        , OUT
        
         
          nentry
         
        
        
         integer
        
        )
       
      
      | 
     setof record | get statistics of a tsvector column | ts_stat('SELECT vector from apod') | (foo,10,15) ... |