rustdoc doesn't save filtered crate for search

[pravic]

Originally:

• go to https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.59.0/std/index.html
• select "std" among search scope
• search for "exists", for example
• we can see that the results are from the "std" crate only
• go to the result https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.59.0/std/path/struct.Path.html#method.exists
• try to search again from there
• we can see the results only from the "std" crate

Starting from 1.60:

• https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.60.0/std/
• search for "exists"
• select "std" in the "Results for exists in" field
• the results are from "std"
• go to the result https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.60.0/std/path/struct.Path.html#method.exists
• try to search again from there
• we can see that the results are from "All crates" again.

I expected to see this happen: the search filter should persist.

Instead, this happened: the search filter resets every time we go to the result.

Version it worked on

It most recently worked on: 1.59

Version with regression

rustc --version --verbose:

rustc 1.62.0 (a8314ef7d 2022-06-27)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: a8314ef7d0ec7b75c336af2c9857bfaf43002bfc
commit-date: 2022-06-27
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.62.0
LLVM version: 14.0.5

[pravic]

@rustbot modify labels: +A-docs +A-rustdoc-search

[pravic]

@rustbot modify labels: +T-rustdoc

[camelid]

I think this was an intentional change. Some people (including myself) preferred having the crate filtering be stateless. This may be the PR: #92735

cc @GuillaumeGomez

[pravic]

Some people (including myself) preferred having the crate filtering be stateless.

I think, in this case just don't use the filtering? Or (better) we need to include this in the settings ("save crates filter/choice"). Just dropping the filtering state is a UX breaking change.

Not to mention that now we are forced to select the crate filter each time we search. I think, the amount of "select std in the filter" is insanely larger than "I always used 'std', now I need 'core' - I have to reset the filter" use cases.

[GuillaumeGomez]

This is an intentional change. There are multiple things backing this change:

• On local docs, if you change folder, the setting is lost, adding confusion for users about the saved crate filter.
• Search is a "one time thing" and anything you do in it won't be save once you change page.

I'm not sure adding a new setting for this would fix your issue either since you'd have the same problem in any case on local docs.

[pravic]

Local docs - it's a separate beast that almost nobody uses. People use doc.rust-lang.org and docs.rs.

[GuillaumeGomez]

Local docs - it's a separate beast that almost nobody uses. People use doc.rust-lang.org and docs.rs.

That is a very bold statement. I hope you have some numbers to back it up? :)