Python

search()

This method conducts a vector similarity search.

Invocation

search(data, anns_field, param, limit, expr=None, partition_names=None, output_fields=None, timeout=None, round_decimal=-1, **kwargs)

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Type	Required
`data`	Data to search with	list[list[Float]]	True
`anns_field`	Name of the vector field to search on	String	True
`param`	Specific search parameter(s) of the index on the vector field. For details, refer to Prepare search parameters.	Dict	True
`limit`	Number of nearest records to return. The sum of this value and `offset` should be less than 16384.	Integer	True
`expr`	Boolean expression to filter the data	String	False
`partition_names`	List of names of the partitions to search on. All partition will be searched if it is left empty.	list[String]	False
`output_fields`	List of names of fields to output. When specified, you can get the values of the specified fields by using `hit.entity.get()`.	list[String]	False
`timeout`	An optional duration of time in seconds to allow for the RPC. If it is set to None, the client keeps waiting until the server responds or error occurs.	Float	False
`round_decimal`	Number of the decimal places of the returned distance	Integer	False
`kwargs`: `_async`	Boolean value to indicate if to invoke asynchronously.	Bool	False
`kwargs`: `_callback`	Function that will be invoked after server responds successfully. It takes effect only if `_async` is set to `True`.	Function	False
`kwargs`: `consistency_level`	Consistency level used in the search.	String/Integer	False
`kwargs`: `guarantee_timestamp`	Milvus searches on the data view before this timestamp when it is provided. Otherwise, it searches the most updated data view. It can be only used in `Customized` level of consistency.	Integer	False
`kwargs`: `graceful_time`	PyMilvus will use current timestamp minus the `graceful_time` as the `guarantee_timestamp` for search. It can be only used in `Bounded` level of consistency.	Integer	False
`kwargs`: `travel_timestamp`	Timestamp that is used for Time Travel. Users can specify a timestamp in a search to get results based on a data view at a specified point in time.	Integer	False

Return

A SearchResult object, an iterable, 2d-array-like class whose first dimension is the number of vectors to query (nq), and the second dimension is the number of limit (topk).

Raises

RpcError: error if gRPC encounter an error.
ParamError: error if the parameters are invalid.
DataTypeNotMatchException: error if wrong type of data is passed to server.
BaseException: error if the return result from server is not ok.

Example

search_params = {"metric_type": "L2", "params": {"nprobe": 10}}
from pymilvus import Collection
collection = Collection("book")      # Get an existing collection.
result = collection.search(
    data=[[0.1, 0.2]], 
    anns_field="book_intro", 
    param=search_params, 
    limit=10, 
    # demontrates the ways to reference a dynamic field.
    expr='$meta["dynamic_field_1"] > 10 and dynamic_field_2 == 10',
    # sets the names of the fields you want to retrieve from the search result.
    output_fields=['title', 'dynamic_field_1', 'dynamic_field_2'], 
    consistency_level="Strong"
)

for hits in result:
    # get the IDs of all returned hits
    print(hits.ids)

    # get the distances to the query vector from all returned hits
    print(hits.distances)
    for hit in hits:
        # get the value of an output field specified in the search request.
        # dynamic fields are supported, but vector fields are not supported yet.    
        print(hit.entity.get('title'))
        print(hit.entity.get('$meta["dynamic_field_1"]'))
        print(hit.entity.get('$dynamic_field_2'))

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