Search System Overview¶

How searching works in your relational Flask application

Why search matters¶

Most applications need a way to find information quickly.

Examples: - find a book
- find a product
- find a task
- find a document

This template includes a flexible search system that works with any relational data.

Where search is implemented¶

Search lives in:

src/app/main/

Key files: - forms.py — defines the search form
- queries.py — reusable search functions
- routes.py — handles search requests
- templates/main/search.html — search page
- templates/main/results.html — results page

How the search form works¶

The search form allows users to filter by:

• keyword
• item type
• category
• creator
• year

Students can add more filters depending on their project.

How the search query works¶

The search system uses SQLAlchemy to build queries dynamically.

A typical search might:

• join Item → ItemType
• join Item → Creator
• join Item → Category
• filter by keyword
• filter by type
• filter by category
• filter by creator

This teaches students how relational queries work in real applications.

Role-Based Search Restrictions¶

Some fields may be visible only to certain users.

Examples: - members cannot search internal notes
- staff can
- admins can search everything

This is called:

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) for field-level restrictions

The search system supports both.

Why this system is flexible¶

Students can reuse the search system for:

• tasks
• products
• issues
• assets
• documents
• media

The structure stays the same — only the meaning changes.

Where to go next¶

Explore:

• src/app/main/forms.py
• src/app/main/queries.py
• src/app/main/routes.py