Match search on normalised postcodes

- Check if query is a postcode and search directly on a normalised index of this and fallback to address search if no records found
- This enables querying for postcodes stored as SE21 7DN to be matched with query "se217dn"

app/services/planning_application_search.rb

@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def local_authority
   end
 
   def records_matching_query
-    records_matching_reference.presence || records_matching_address.presence || records_matching_description
+    records_matching_reference.presence || records_matching_address_search.presence || records_matching_description
   end
 
   def records_matching_reference
@@ -118,15 +118,29 @@ def records_matching_reference
     )
   end
 
+  def records_matching_postcode
+    current_planning_applications.where(
+      "LOWER(replace(postcode, ' ', '')) = ?",
+      query.gsub(/\s+/, "").downcase
+    )
+  end
+
   def records_matching_description
     current_planning_applications
       .select(sanitized_select_sql)
       .where(where_sql, query_terms)
       .order(rank: :desc)
   end
 
+  def records_matching_address_search
+    return records_matching_address unless postcode_query?
+
+    postcode_results = records_matching_postcode
+    postcode_results.presence || records_matching_address
+  end
+
   def records_matching_address
-    current_planning_applications.where("address_search @@ to_tsquery('simple', ?)", address_query_terms)
+    current_planning_applications.where("address_search @@ to_tsquery('simple', ?)", query.split.join(" & "))
   end
 
   def sanitized_select_sql
@@ -149,10 +163,6 @@ def query_terms
     @query_terms ||= query.split.join(" | ")
   end
 
-  def address_query_terms
-    @address_query_terms ||= query.split.map { |term| term }.join(" & ")
-  end
-
   def query_submitted?
     submit.present?
   end
@@ -172,4 +182,8 @@ def sorted_scope(scope = current_planning_applications)
   def selected_application_type_ids
     ApplicationType.where(name: application_type).ids
   end
+
+  def postcode_query?
+    query.match?(/^(GIR\s?0AA|[A-Z]{1,2}\d[A-Z\d]?\s?\d[A-Z]{2})$/i)
+  end
 end

db/migrate/20241018100002_add_normalised_postcode_index_to_planning_applications.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class AddNormalisedPostcodeIndexToPlanningApplications < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.1]
+  disable_ddl_transaction!
+
+  def change
+    add_index :planning_applications, "LOWER(replace(postcode, ' ', ''))", algorithm: :concurrently
+  end
+end

db/schema.rb

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[7.1].define(version: 2024_10_16_135118) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[7.1].define(version: 2024_10_18_100002) do
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "btree_gin"
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
@@ -790,6 +790,7 @@
     t.boolean "site_history_checked", default: false, null: false
     t.virtual "address_search", type: :tsvector, as: "to_tsvector('simple'::regconfig, (((((((((COALESCE(address_1, ''::character varying))::text || ' '::text) || (COALESCE(address_2, ''::character varying))::text) || ' '::text) || (COALESCE(town, ''::character varying))::text) || ' '::text) || (COALESCE(county, ''::character varying))::text) || ' '::text) || (COALESCE(postcode, ''::character varying))::text))", stored: true
     t.index "lower((reference)::text)", name: "ix_planning_applications_on_lower_reference"
+    t.index "lower(replace((postcode)::text, ' '::text, ''::text))", name: "ix_planning_applications_on_LOWER_replace_postcode"
     t.index "to_tsvector('english'::regconfig, description)", name: "index_planning_applications_on_description", using: :gin
     t.index ["address_search"], name: "ix_planning_applications_on_address_search", using: :gin
     t.index ["api_user_id"], name: "ix_planning_applications_on_api_user_id"

engines/bops_api/app/services/bops_api/application/search_service.rb

@@ -36,8 +36,22 @@ def search_description
           .order(rank: :desc)
       end
 
+      def search_postcode
+        scope.where(
+          "LOWER(replace(postcode, ' ', '')) = ?",
+          query.gsub(/\s+/, "").downcase
+        )
+      end
+
       def search_address
-        scope.where("address_search @@ to_tsquery('simple', ?)", address_query_terms)
+        return search_address_results unless postcode_query?
+
+        postcode_results = search_postcode
+        postcode_results.presence || search_address_results
+      end
+
+      def search_address_results
+        scope.where("address_search @@ to_tsquery('simple', ?)", query.split.join(" & "))
       end
 
       def sanitized_select_sql
@@ -60,8 +74,8 @@ def query_terms
         @query_terms ||= query.split.join(" | ")
       end
 
-      def address_query_terms
-        @query_terms ||= query.split.map { |term| term }.join(" & ")
+      def postcode_query?
+        query.match?(/^(GIR\s?0AA|[A-Z]{1,2}\d[A-Z\d]?\s?\d[A-Z]{2})$/i)
       end
     end
   end

engines/bops_api/spec/services/application/search_service_spec.rb

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
     context "when performing a search" do
       let!(:matching_reference) { create(:planning_application) }
       let!(:matching_description) { create(:planning_application, description: "This is a unique description") }
-      let!(:matching_address) { create(:planning_application, address_1: "123 Unique Road", county: "Greater London", town: "Unique Town", postcode: "123 XYZ") }
+      let!(:matching_address) { create(:planning_application, address_1: "123 Unique Road", county: "Greater London", town: "Unique Town", postcode: "SE21 7DN") }
 
       context "when searching by reference" do
         let(:params) { {q: matching_reference.reference} }
@@ -72,11 +72,22 @@
         end
 
         context "with postcode" do
-          let(:params) { {q: "123 xyz"} }
+          context "with exact postcode query" do
+            let(:params) { {q: "SE21 7DN"} }
 
-          it "returns applications matching the address" do
-            expect(results).to include(matching_address)
-            expect(results).not_to include(matching_reference, matching_description)
+            it "returns applications matching the postcode" do
+              expect(results).to include(matching_address)
+              expect(results).not_to include(matching_reference, matching_description)
+            end
+          end
+
+          context "with postcode query" do
+            let(:params) { {q: "se217Dn"} }
+
+            it "returns applications matching the postcode" do
+              expect(results).to include(matching_address)
+              expect(results).not_to include(matching_reference, matching_description)
+            end
           end
         end
       end

spec/system/searching_spec.rb

@@ -215,6 +215,13 @@
         expect(page).not_to have_content(planning_application1.reference)
         expect(page).to have_content(planning_application2.reference)
         expect(page).not_to have_content(planning_application3.reference)
+
+        fill_in("Find an application", with: "sE228uR")
+        click_button("Search")
+
+        expect(page).not_to have_content(planning_application1.reference)
+        expect(page).to have_content(planning_application2.reference)
+        expect(page).not_to have_content(planning_application3.reference)
       end
     end