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Prerequisites - Module 6: Filters & Sorting

Required Knowledge

Before starting this module, you should have:

Azure AI Search Fundamentals

  • ✅ Completed Module 1: Introduction & Setup
  • ✅ Completed Module 2: Basic Search
  • ✅ Completed Module 4: Simple Queries
  • ✅ Understanding of search index field attributes
  • ✅ Basic knowledge of query syntax and parameters

Technical Prerequisites

  • ✅ Understanding of comparison operators (equals, greater than, less than)
  • ✅ Basic knowledge of logical operators (AND, OR, NOT)
  • ✅ Familiarity with data types (strings, numbers, dates, booleans)
  • ✅ Understanding of JSON data structures

Required Azure Resources

Azure AI Search Service

  • ✅ Active Azure AI Search service (Free tier is sufficient for learning)
  • ✅ Admin API key or appropriate RBAC permissions
  • ✅ Service endpoint URL

Search Index with Filterable Fields

You'll need a search index with fields configured as filterable and sortable:

Required Field Attributes

  • ✅ filterable: true - For fields used in filter expressions
  • ✅ sortable: true - For fields used in sorting
  • ✅ facetable: true - For fields used in faceted navigation (optional)

Sample Index Schema

{
  "fields": [
    {"name": "id", "type": "Edm.String", "key": true},
    {"name": "title", "type": "Edm.String", "searchable": true},
    {"name": "category", "type": "Edm.String", "filterable": true, "facetable": true},
    {"name": "price", "type": "Edm.Double", "filterable": true, "sortable": true},
    {"name": "rating", "type": "Edm.Double", "filterable": true, "sortable": true},
    {"name": "lastModified", "type": "Edm.DateTimeOffset", "filterable": true, "sortable": true},
    {"name": "location", "type": "Edm.GeographyPoint", "filterable": true, "sortable": true},
    {"name": "tags", "type": "Collection(Edm.String)", "filterable": true, "facetable": true}
  ]
}

Sample Data

Your index should contain sample documents for testing:

[
  {
    "id": "1",
    "title": "Luxury Hotel Downtown",
    "category": "Luxury",
    "price": 299.99,
    "rating": 4.8,
    "lastModified": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "location": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-122.131577, 47.678581]},
    "tags": ["WiFi", "Pool", "Spa", "Restaurant"]
  },
  {
    "id": "2",
    "title": "Budget Inn Airport",
    "category": "Budget",
    "price": 89.99,
    "rating": 3.2,
    "lastModified": "2024-01-10T14:20:00Z",
    "location": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-122.309326, 47.449397]},
    "tags": ["WiFi", "Parking"]
  }
]

Development Environment Setup

Required Tools

  • ✅ Code editor (Visual Studio Code recommended)
  • ✅ REST client (Postman, VS Code REST Client, or curl)
  • ✅ Web browser for Azure portal access

SDK Installation (Choose your language)

Python

pip install azure-search-documents
pip install azure-identity

C# (.NET)

dotnet add package Azure.Search.Documents
dotnet add package Azure.Identity

JavaScript/Node.js

npm install @azure/search-documents
npm install @azure/identity

OData Knowledge Requirements

Basic OData Concepts

  • ✅ Understanding of OData filter syntax
  • ✅ Knowledge of comparison operators (eq, ne, gt, ge, lt, le)
  • ✅ Familiarity with logical operators (and, or, not)
  • ✅ Basic string functions (startswith, endswith, contains)

Data Type Handling

  • ✅ String literals: 'text value'
  • ✅ Numeric values: 123, 45.67
  • ✅ Boolean values: true, false
  • ✅ Date/time values: 2024-01-15T10:30:00Z
  • ✅ Null values: null

Authentication Setup

Option 1: API Keys

  • ✅ Admin API key for write operations
  • ✅ Query API key for read operations
  • ✅ System-assigned or user-assigned managed identity
  • ✅ Appropriate role assignments:
  • Search Service Contributor (for admin operations)
  • Search Index Data Reader (for query operations)

Verification Checklist

Before proceeding with the module exercises:

Service Access

  • [ ] Can access Azure AI Search service endpoint
  • [ ] Can authenticate using API keys or managed identity
  • [ ] Can execute basic search queries

Index Configuration

  • [ ] Index exists with sample data
  • [ ] Required fields are marked as filterable
  • [ ] Required fields are marked as sortable
  • [ ] Sample data includes various data types

Development Environment

  • [ ] Required SDKs or tools are installed
  • [ ] Can make REST API calls to Azure AI Search
  • [ ] Code editor is configured appropriately

OData Knowledge

  • [ ] Understand basic filter syntax
  • [ ] Can construct simple comparison expressions
  • [ ] Familiar with logical operators
  • [ ] Know how to handle different data types

Sample Test Queries

Verify your setup with these basic filter and sort queries:

Basic Equality Filter

GET https://[service-name].search.windows.net/indexes/[index-name]/docs?api-version=2024-07-01&search=*&$filter=category eq 'Luxury'

Range Filter

GET https://[service-name].search.windows.net/indexes/[index-name]/docs?api-version=2024-07-01&search=*&$filter=price gt 100 and price lt 300

Basic Sorting

GET https://[service-name].search.windows.net/indexes/[index-name]/docs?api-version=2024-07-01&search=*&$orderby=rating desc

Combined Filter and Sort

GET https://[service-name].search.windows.net/indexes/[index-name]/docs?api-version=2024-07-01&search=*&$filter=rating ge 4.0&$orderby=price asc

Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues

Field Not Filterable Error

Error: The field 'fieldname' is not filterable Solution: Update index schema to mark field as filterable

Invalid OData Syntax

Error: Invalid expression: ... Solution: Check OData syntax, ensure proper quoting and operators

Data Type Mismatch

Error: Cannot convert value to expected type Solution: Verify data types match between filter values and field types

Authentication Issues

Error: Access denied or Unauthorized Solution: Verify API keys or managed identity permissions

Getting Help

If you encounter issues during setup:

  1. Troubleshooting Guide - Common issues and solutions
  2. Azure AI Search Documentation - Official Microsoft documentation
  3. Best Practices - Guidelines for effective implementation
  4. Code Samples - Working examples in multiple languages

Quick Diagnostic Steps

  • Verify all prerequisites are met
  • Test with simple queries before complex ones
  • Check field attributes in index schema
  • Validate authentication and permissions

Next Steps

Once all prerequisites are met, proceed to: - Best Practices - Learn filtering and sorting guidelines - Practice & Implementation - Start building filter and sort queries - Code Samples - Explore practical examples