ReactiveSearch provides a comprehensive suite of UI components for building search interfaces in React and Vue applications. It simplifies the process of creating interactive search experiences by handling query generation and result display, targeting developers who need to integrate search functionality with Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Solr, MongoDB, or OpenAI.

How It Works

The library's core design revolves around a declarative approach where UI components translate user interactions into search queries. These components can be configured to react to each other, enabling complex filtering and faceted search UIs. Starting with v4, it leverages the ReactiveSearch API for query execution, which enhances security and shifts business logic to the server-side, generating specific query DSLs based on the configured backend.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install for React: npm install @appbaseio/reactivesearch
• Install for Vue: npm install @appbaseio/reactivesearch-vue
• Requires a backend search engine (Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Solr, MongoDB, OpenAI) and optionally ReactiveSearch Cloud.
• Official docs: https://docs.reactivesearch.io/
• Component Playground: https://opensource.appbase.io/playground/

Highlighted Details

• Over 20 UI components including Lists, Ranges, Search UIs, Result displays, AI Answer, and Charts (React only).
• Supports custom rendering for results and theming via React props.
• Offers map components (Google Maps, OpenStreetMaps) and chart components powered by Apache E-Charts.
• Comparison shows advantages over SearchKit and InstantSearch in styling, component variety, and backend support.

Maintenance & Community

• Actively developed and maintained.
• Contribution guide available at .github/CONTRIBUTING.md.
• Related projects include ReactiveSearch API, searchbox, dejavu, and appbase-js.

Licensing & Compatibility

• Licensed under Apache 2.0.
• Compatible with commercial use and closed-source linking.

Limitations & Caveats

Chart components are currently only supported for React. While it supports multiple backends, the ReactiveSearch API integration is a key feature for v4+, implying a shift towards its own cloud or API for full functionality.