Developer notes

Notes on debugging, testing and documentation

Developing RediSearch

Developing RediSearch features involves setting up a development environment (which can be either Linux-based or macOS-based), building the module, running tests and benchmarks, and debugging both the module and its tests.

Cloning the git repository

Run the following command to clone the RediSearch module and its submodules:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/RediSearch/RediSearch.git

Working in an isolated environment

There are several reasons to develop in an isolated environment, like keeping your workstation clean, and developing for a different Linux distribution. The most general option for an isolated environment is a virtual machine. It's very easy to set one up using Vagrant). Docker is even more agile, as it offers an almost instant solution:

search=$(docker run -d -it -v $PWD:/build debian:bullseye bash)
docker exec -it $search bash

Then, from within the container, cd /build and go on as usual.

In this mode, all installations remain in the scope of the Docker container. Upon exiting the container, you can either re-invoke it with the above docker exec or commit the state of the container to an image and re-invoke it at a later stage:

docker commit $search redisearch1
docker stop $search
search=$(docker run -d -it -v $PWD:/build rediseatch1 bash)
docker exec -it $search bash

You can replace debian:bullseye with your choice of OS, with the host OS being the best choice allowing you to run the RediSearch binary on your host after it is built.

Installing prerequisites

To build and test RediSearch you need to install several packages, depending on the underlying OS. The following OSes are supported: Ubuntu/Debian, CentOS, Fedora, and macOS.

First, enter the RediSearch directory and then run:

./sbin/setup
bash -l

Note that this will install various packages on your system using the native package manager and pip. It will invoke sudo on its own, prompting for permission.

If you prefer to avoid that, you can:

  • Review sbin/system-setup.py and install packages manually.

  • Use ./sbin/system-setup.py --nop to display installation commands without executing them.

  • Use an isolated environment as explained above.

  • Use a Python virtual environment, as Python installations are known to be sensitive when not used in isolation:

    python3 -m virtualenv venv; . ./venv/bin/activate

Installing Redis

As a rule of thumb, you're run the latest Redis version.

If your OS has a Redis 6.x or 7.x package, you can install it using the OS package manager.

Otherwise, you can invoke ./deps/readies/bin/getredis.

Getting help

make help provides a quick summary of the development features:

make setup         # install prerequisited (CAUTION: THIS WILL MODIFY YOUR SYSTEM)
make fetch         # download and prepare dependant modules

make build          # compile and link
  COORD=1|oss|rlec    # build coordinator (1|oss: Open Source, rlec: Enterprise)
  STATIC=1            # build as static lib
  LITE=1              # build RediSearchLight
  DEBUG=1             # build for debugging
  NO_TESTS=1          # disable unit tests
  WHY=1               # explain CMake decisions (in /tmp/cmake-why)
  FORCE=1             # Force CMake rerun (default)
  CMAKE_ARGS=...      # extra arguments to CMake
  VG=1                # build for Valgrind
  SAN=type            # build with LLVM sanitizer (type=address|memory|leak|thread) 
  SLOW=1              # do not parallelize build (for diagnostics)
  GCC=1               # build with GCC (default unless Sanitizer)
  CLANG=1             # build with CLang
  STATIC_LIBSTDCXX=0  # link libstdc++ dynamically (default: 1)
make parsers       # build parsers code
make clean         # remove build artifacts
  ALL=1              # remove entire artifacts directory

make run           # run redis with RediSearch
  GDB=1              # invoke using gdb

make test          # run all tests
  COORD=1|oss|rlec   # test coordinator (1|oss: Open Source, rlec: Enterprise)
  TEST=name          # run specified test
make pytest        # run python tests (tests/pytests)
  COORD=1|oss|rlec   # test coordinator (1|oss: Open Source, rlec: Enterprise)
  TEST=name          # e.g. TEST=test:testSearch
  RLTEST_ARGS=...    # pass args to RLTest
  REJSON=1|0|get     # also load JSON module (default: 1)
  REJSON_PATH=path   # use JSON module at `path`
  EXT=1              # External (existing) environment
  GDB=1              # RLTest interactive debugging
  VG=1               # use Valgrind
  VG_LEAKS=0         # do not search leaks with Valgrind
  SAN=type           # use LLVM sanitizer (type=address|memory|leak|thread) 
  ONLY_STABLE=1      # skip unstable tests
make unit-tests    # run unit tests (C and C++)
  TEST=name          # e.g. TEST=FGCTest.testRemoveLastBlock
make c_tests       # run C tests (from tests/ctests)
make cpp_tests     # run C++ tests (from tests/cpptests)
make vecsim-bench  # run VecSim micro-benchmark

make callgrind     # produce a call graph
  REDIS_ARGS="args"

make pack             # create installation packages (default: 'redisearch-oss' package)
  COORD=rlec            # pack RLEC coordinator ('redisearch' package)
  LITE=1                # pack RediSearchLight ('redisearch-light' package)

make upload-artifacts   # copy snapshot packages to S3
  OSNICK=nick             # copy snapshots for specific OSNICK
make upload-release     # copy release packages to S3

common options for upload operations:
  STAGING=1             # copy to staging lab area (for validation)
  FORCE=1               # allow operation outside CI environment
  VERBOSE=1             # show more details
  NOP=1                 # do not copy, just print commands

make docker        # build for specified platform
  OSNICK=nick        # platform to build for (default: host platform)
  TEST=1             # run tests after build
  PACK=1             # create package
  ARTIFACTS=1        # copy artifacts to host

make box           # create container with volumen mapping into /search
  OSNICK=nick        # platform spec
make sanbox        # create container with CLang Sanitizer

Building from source

make build will build RediSearch.

make build COORD=oss will build OSS RediSearch Coordinator.

make build STATIC=1 will build as a static library.

Notes:

  • Binary files are placed under bin, according to platform and build variant.
  • RediSearch uses CMake as its build system. make build will invoke both CMake and the subsequent make command that's required to complete the build.

Use make clean to remove build artifacts. make clean ALL=1 will remove the entire bin subdirectory.

Diagnosing the build process

make build will build in parallel by default.

For the purposes of build diagnosis, make build SLOW=1 VERBOSE=1 can be used to examine compilation commands.

Running Redis with RediSearch

The following will run redis and load the RediSearch module.

make run

You can open redis-cli in another terminal to interact with it.

Running tests

There are several sets of unit tests:

  • C tests, located in tests/ctests, run by make c_tests.
  • C++ tests (enabled by GTest), located in tests/cpptests, run by make cpp_tests.
  • Python tests (enabled by RLTest), located in tests/pytests, run by make pytest.

You can run all tests by invoking make test.

A single test can be run using the TEST parameter, e.g., make test TEST=regex.

Debugging

To build for debugging (enabling symbolic information and disabling optimization), run make DEBUG=1. You can then use make run DEBUG=1 to invoke gdb. In addition to the usual way to set breakpoints in gdb, it is possible to use the BB macro to set a breakpoint inside the RediSearch code. It will only have an effect when running under gdb.

Similarly, Python tests in a single-test mode, you can set a breakpoint by using the BB() function inside a test.

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