Changing search method in Prestashop - search

Question

The search function is as shown below matching results after 3 characters and input and they match the product name or description. I'm looking for a change in search function of MegaShop theme in Prestashop 1.7 as follows:
The search should be able to find words parts. In example, If the user writes "hi he", the search should be able to find "high heels". This should work also in other orders, lets say "he hi" (instead of "hi he") would return also "high heels" and every other article that match these word parts in different words.
Inside /root/modules/tptnsearch the file "tptnsearch-ajax-php contains:
<?php
require_once('../../config/config.inc.php');
require_once('../../init.php');
require_once(dirname(__FILE__).'/tptnsearch.php');
$tptnsearch = new TptnSearch();
$result_products = array();
$products = array();
$tptnsearch_key = Tools::getValue('search_key');
$context = Context::getContext();
$count = 0;
$product_link = $context->link;
if (Tools::strlen($tptnsearch_key) >= 3) {
$products = Product::searchByName($context->language->id, $tptnsearch_key);
$total_products = count($products);
if ($total_products) {
for ($i = 0; $i < $total_products; $i++) {
if (($products[$i]['name']) && ($products[$i]['active'])) {
$images = Image::getImages($context->language->id, $products[$i]['id_product']);
$product = new Product($products[$i]['id_product']);
$products[$i]['link'] = $product_link->getProductLink($products[$i]['id_product'], $product->link_rewrite[1], $product->id_category_default, $product->ean13);
$products[$i]['link_rewrite'] = $product->link_rewrite[1];
$products[$i]['id_image'] = $images[0]['id_image'];
$products[$i]['price'] = Tools::displayPrice(Tools::convertPrice($products[$i]['price_tax_incl'], $context->currency), $context->currency);
if ($count < Configuration::get('TPTN_SEARCH_COUNT')) {
$result_products[] = $products[$i];
$count ++;
} else {
break;
}
}
}
}
$context->smarty->assign(array(
'enable_image' => Configuration::get('TPTN_SEARCH_IMAGE'),
'enable_price' => Configuration::get('TPTN_SEARCH_PRICE'),
'enable_name' => Configuration::get('TPTN_SEARCH_NAME'),
'search_alert' => $tptnsearch->no_product,
'link' => $context->link,
'products' => $result_products,
));
$context->smarty->display(dirname(__FILE__).'/views/templates/hook/popupsearch.tpl');
} else {
echo '<div class="wrap_item">'.$tptnsearch->three_character.'</div>';
}
I believe changes must be done within this file.

Answer 1

I think your approach wouldn't give you desirable behavior. Basically, I think you need to create your own search query or override existed one and modify SQL query. Because now there are only LIKE %text% conditions and mean that your text should appear in the exact same way. So it means that that you are able to find "gh he" but not "hi he".
Or you can split your search request by gaps and then search by words doing the checking if all of them are in the request. But also I think it would be better to modify LIKE from %text% to %text to exclude duplicating and search only by words beginnings