XF 1.5 What is the purpose of 'search ID' in every search performed on XenForo?

[TheBigK]

If I search anything on XenForo, it creates a URL like this: https://xenforo.com/community/search/8854475/?q=session&o=relevance

I wish to know what exactly is the purpose of adding a search ID aka the number after /search/ in the URL?

 

[Mike]

It's for optimization (searches can be slow and need permission checks) and for consistency (so the results don't change during the search).

 

[TheBigK]

(so the results don't change during the search).

Do you mean when the user is clicking through paginated results?

 

[Mike]

Correct.

 

[TheBigK]

Thanks a ton for your quick responses.

Is the search ID stored in the Database or in $_SESSION to maintain persistence?

 

[Mike]

It's stored in the xf_search table.

 

[TheBigK]

Storing the information in database would mean that I can retrieve my search at a later point. Any reason that it's not stored in a global scope like SESSION or COOKIE? Searches are temporary; what's the reason for storing them?

 

[Mike]

They're cleaned up periodically.

But they store a variety of a data so a cookie would not be appropriate (and they can potentially cross session boundaries, plus you may have multiple searches simultaneously).

 

[TheBigK]

They're cleaned up periodically.

But they store a variety of a data so a cookie would not be appropriate (and they can potentially cross session boundaries, plus you may have multiple searches simultaneously).

Thanks! This is very interesting! Really appreciate your responses.