For lazy people (get started in 5 minutes)

1. Include the autoload file

// Just include this file : every needed class will be loaded automatically
require_once(SIMPLE_ES_DIR . '/lib/Autoload.php') ;

2. Connect to your ES server

// Get a client. Note that you can use Simples::current() to get your current connection later.
$client = Simples::connect(array(
  'host' => 'your.host.net',  // Default : localhost
  'index' => 'your.index',    // Optionnal : it can be specified in each request
  'type' => 'your.type'      // Optionnal : it can be specified in each request
));

3. Index your data

// Some data you want to index
$data = array(
  'firstname' => 'Jim',
  'lastname' => 'Morrison',
  'categories' => array('Poet','Composer','Singer')
);

try {
  // Tell your current connection to index this data.
  Simples::current()->index($data)->execute() ;       // Don't forget the "execute()" on each request !
} catch (Exception  $e) {
  die('Error indexing data : ' . $e->getMessage()) ;  // ES errors are intercepted and generates same exceptions as Simpl-ES
}

4. Search !

A search request is composed by 4 distinct elements :

• the global request options (size, sort, ...)
• the query builder
• the filters builder
• the facets builder

Query

$client = Simples::current() ;
try {
  // Really simple search : execute a query string
  $count = $client->search('jim')->hits->total ;       // Hey what ? Where's the execute() call ? No need if 
                                                       // you ask for response parameters : Simpl-ES is smart 
                                                       // enough to execute your request.

  // Ok, now a real case
  $request = $client->search()
    ->should()                                                 // You can define explicitly bool criteria on first level only (this is not recursive)
        ->match('Morrison')->in('lastname')                    // Subquery : term request in the lastname field
        ->match('Jim')                                         // Subquery : query_string (in all fields)
    ->not()
        ->match('poet')->in(array('lastname','categories'))
    ->limit(5)                                                 // Global request option
    ->sort('lastname') ;
  $results = $request->execute() ;                             // Yes, yes, you HAVE to call execute() there.
} catch (Exception  $e) {
  die('Error during search : ' . $e->getMessage()) ; 
}

Filtering

$client = Simples::current() ;
try {
  // Single filter
  $results = $client->search()
    ->filter()
      ->field('categories')->match('Poet')
    ->execute() ;
   
  // Multiple filters
  $results = $client->search()
    ->filters(array(
      'categories' => array('Poet','Composer'),
      'status' => 'active'
    ))
    ->execute() ;
} catch (Exception  $e) {
  die('Error during search : ' . $e->getMessage()) ; 
}

Facets

$client = Simples::current() ;
try {
  // Single facet
  $results = $client->search()
    ->facet('categories')         // Simpl-ES will create a "term" facet called "categories", on the field "categories"
    ->execute() ;                 // If no query specified, Simpl-ES will do a match_all query.

  // Multiple facets
   $results = $client->search()
    ->facets(array(
      'categories', 
      'statuses' => array('field' => 'status')  // Advanced description (you can give any key supported by ES here)
    ))
    ->execute() ;
} catch (Exception  $e) {
  die('Error during search : ' . $e->getMessage()) ; 
}

A full request : get all your data with one fluid call

$client = Simples::current() ;
try {
  $results = $client->search()
    ->match('jim')
    ->filter()->match('active')->in('status')
    ->facet('categories')
    ->execute() ;
} catch (Exception  $e) {
  die('Error during search : ' . $e->getMessage()) ; 
}

Use a response

Each request you call generates a Simples_Request object. When you call the execute() method, you get a Simples_Response object. Theses response objects have some magic : you can call any of their data properties as a simple php object property.

$response = $resquest->execute() ;
echo 'Request took ' . $response->took . ' ms : ' . $response->hits->total . ' results for your request' ;

Response can be transformed in JSON or array calling the to() method :

$results = $response->to('array') ; // Extract a search request response into an array
$esults = $response->to('json') ;   // Extract a search request response into an JSON response

You can get the response hits directly, using the hits() method, whitch returns an iterable object :

foreach($response->hits() as $hit) {
  echo $hit->username . ' : ' . $hit->age ;
}