[metrics-bugs] #23829 [Metrics/Onionoo]: Add support for search term negation

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#23829: Add support for search term negation
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 Reporter:  cypherpunks      |          Owner:  metrics-team
     Type:  enhancement      |         Status:  needs_review
 Priority:  Medium           |      Milestone:
Component:  Metrics/Onionoo  |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal           |     Resolution:
 Keywords:                   |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                   |         Points:
 Reviewer:                   |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by karsten):

 So, regarding your question about relays having neither Guard nor Exit
 flag, there's currently no way to write such a query. The flag parameter
 currently does not accept a comma-separated list of flags. We could extend
 it towards doing so. That would be a new ticket, though. Mind opening one
 if you think that would be a useful feature?

 Regarding the other parameters that you suggest that should support
 negation, that list sounds reasonable. What it does not mention is the
 "search" parameter itself, which means unqualified search terms for which
 you give use cases further down below.

 Before I go write more code, can you answer the following usability
 questions (numbered for easier reference, not to indicate priority)?
  1. Is `!` the best character we can find to indicate negation? Or should
 we instead pick `-`? Or something else?
  2. We'll have to extend the various parameters to support `!` as part of
 the parameter value as in `search=flag:!exit`, and we'll have to allow
 unqualified search terms starting with `!` as in `search=!default`. But
 should we also allow qualified search terms starting with `!` as in
 `search=!flag:exit` which would be equivalent to `search=flag:!exit`? Note
 that if we do, `search=!flag:!exit` would be a valid parameter, as would
 `search=!flag:exit,guard` or `search=!flag:!exit,guard` if we extend the
 "flag" parameter as mentioned in my first paragraph. It would be up to the
 user to interpret what that might possibly mean. But maybe they're to
 blame if they write such a complex query rather than us for accepting it.
 ;)

 As you may guess there might be more questions coming up as we discuss
 this extension.

 Thanks for helping make Onionoo better!

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/23829#comment:3>
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