Avid readers of this blog (or Drupal Planet) will know that I started porting the Search API module to Drupal 8 almost half a year ago, this summer. However, I just couldn't manage to invest the necessary time to really get this project going, and while I had amazing help from Frederic Hennequin and Jonathan Sacksick, development on the D8 version of the Search API grinded to a halt again somewhere in September (early September for me, late September for Frederic). It is clear that a more concerted effort, with enough time planned for it and some prepared structures will be needed to really get this project going and help Search API have a stable D8 version on the day that Drupal 8 is released.
In the meantime, however, there were of course also amazingly good news in this regard: in some discussion in Prague, Nick Veenhof and I agreed that there will finally be a single Solr module, using the Search API, in Drupal 8! This means that there will now be even more people interested in making the Search API in Drupal 8 as great as possible!
It also means that we'll have better input to work with regarding what needs to change or be improved to make this possible, and to still support all the use cases the Apache Solr Search Integration module previously covered. And also some interest on Acquia's side to support Search API development.
In light of all this (and the two-month vacation I'll go off to in a week) we reached the decision to kick off Search API D8 development (again) at the Drupal Dev Days in Szeged, March 24 – 30. We'll have time to discuss the battle plan there (it seems that there will be BoFs the whole week, which is of course ideal) and to also do some serious sprinting, working to get the module usable and then to bring in all the planned improvements. Maybe we'll even start development on some related modules – first and foremost, probably, the Solr module so we'll see any remaining obstacles right away. In any case, I'll be there the whole week and eager to work on the Search API with anyone that wants to help!
So, if you are also interested in the Search API, and helping with its upgrade to a new, improved version, please come to the Dev Days in Szeged! Discuss with us, sprint with us, provide feedback, help testing – there's enough to do, and additional input is always welcome! Please also contact me to let me know you're coming, so I can plan accordingly!
If your company uses the Search API, please also consider sending someone to that sprint for helping out (and for adding your company's point of view to the discussions)!
Also, read and follow the meta issue and post any further ideas you have in the idea collection issue (or just as a new issue).
After the sprint, I will then make finishing the D8 port my top priority (as long as I don't run out of money) in April (and afterwards, of course, if necessary), so we'll hopefully follow through this time and get a D8 version ready in time.
See you all in Szeged!
PS: I now also created an official Sprint entry on the DDD website, so please make sure to also signup there if you are coming!
PPS: It has now been confirmed that I will also present a session about the Search API in Drupal 8 there.
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