From c273422b06e94831c8f299cb07cf9d95e2c198bd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sarah Hoffmann <lonvia@denofr.de>
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2021 09:02:00 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] add documentation for synonym feature

---
 docs/synonyms.md | 83 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 83 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 docs/synonyms.md

diff --git a/docs/synonyms.md b/docs/synonyms.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b7b805df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/synonyms.md
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+# Using Synonyms and Classification Terms
+
+Photon has built-in support for using custom query-time synonyms and
+special phrases for searching a place by its type. This document explains
+how to configure this feature.
+
+## Configuration
+
+Synonyms and classification terms are configured with a JSON file which can
+be added to a Photon server instance using the command line parameter
+`-synonym-file`. Synonyms are a run-time feature. Handing in a synonym list
+at import time has no effect. The list of synonyms in use can simply be
+changed by restarting the Photon server with a different synonym list (or
+not at all, if you want to completely disable the feature again).
+
+Here is a simple example of a synonym configuration file:
+
+```
+{
+  "search_synonyms": [
+    "first,1st",
+    "second,2nd"
+  ],
+  "classification_terms": [
+    {
+      "key": "aeroway",
+      "value": "aerodrome",
+      "terms": ["airport", "airfield"]
+    },
+    {
+      "key": "railway",
+      "value": "station",
+      "terms": ["station"]
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+The file has two main sections: `search_synonyms` allows for simple synonym
+replacements in the query. `classification_term` defines descriptive terms
+for a OSM key/value pair.
+
+## Synonyms
+
+The `search_synonyms` section must contain a list of synonym replacements.
+Each entry contains a comma-separated of terms that may be replaced with each
+other in the query. Only single-word terms are allowed. That means the terms
+must neither contain spaces nor hyphens or the like.[^1]
+
+[^1] This is a restriction of ElasticSearch 5. Synonym replacement does not
+     create correct term positions when multi-word synonyms are involved.
+
+## Classification Terms
+
+The second section `classification_terms` defines a list of OSM key/value
+pairs with their descriptive terms. `place` and `building` may not be used as
+keys. Neither will `highway=residential` nor `highway=unclassified` work.
+There may be multiple entries for the same key/value pair (for example,
+if you have extra entries for each supported language).
+
+The classification terms can help improve search when the type of an object
+is used in the query but does not appear in the name. For example, with the
+configuration given above a query of "Berlin Station" will find a railway
+station which in OpenStreetMap has the name "Berlin" and also one with
+the name "Berlin Hauptbahnhof".
+
+Classification terms do not enable searching for objects of a certain type.
+"Station London" will not get you all railway stations in London but a
+railway station _named_ London.
+
+## Usage Advice
+
+Use synonyms and classification terms sparingly and only if you can be
+reasonably sure that they will target the intended part of the address.
+Short or frequent terms can have unexpected side-effects and worsen the
+search results. For example, it might sound like a good idea to use synonyms
+to handle the abbreviation from 'Saint' to 'St'. The problem here is that
+'St' is also used as an abbreviation for 'Street'. So all searches that
+involve a 'Street' will suddenly also search for places containing 'Saint'.
+
+Do not create synonyms for terms that are used as classification terms.
+Photon will not complain but again there might be unintended side effects.
+