Improve errors and introduce a new InvalidSearchDistinct error code

meilisearch-types/src/error.rs

@@ -270,13 +270,14 @@ InvalidSimilarShowRankingScore        , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSearchShowRankingScoreDetails  , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSimilarShowRankingScoreDetails , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSearchSort                     , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
+InvalidSearchDistinct                 , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsDisplayedAttributes    , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsDistinctAttribute      , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsProximityPrecision     , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsFaceting               , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsFilterableAttributes   , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsPagination             , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
-InvalidSettingsSearchCutoffMs           , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
+InvalidSettingsSearchCutoffMs         , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsEmbedders              , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsRankingRules           , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
 InvalidSettingsSearchableAttributes   , InvalidRequest       , BAD_REQUEST ;
@@ -381,6 +382,7 @@ impl ErrorCode for milli::Error {
                         Code::IndexPrimaryKeyMultipleCandidatesFound
                     }
                     UserError::PrimaryKeyCannotBeChanged(_) => Code::IndexPrimaryKeyAlreadyExists,
+                    UserError::InvalidDistinctAttribute { .. } => Code::InvalidSearchDistinct,
                     UserError::SortRankingRuleMissing => Code::InvalidSearchSort,
                     UserError::InvalidFacetsDistribution { .. } => Code::InvalidSearchFacets,
                     UserError::InvalidSortableAttribute { .. } => Code::InvalidSearchSort,

meilisearch/src/routes/indexes/search.rs

@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ pub struct SearchQueryGet {
     filter: Option<String>,
     #[deserr(default, error = DeserrQueryParamError<InvalidSearchSort>)]
     sort: Option<String>,
-    // TODO change the InvalidSearchSort to InvalidSearchDistinct error
+    #[deserr(default, error = DeserrQueryParamError<InvalidSearchDistinct>)]
-    #[deserr(default, error = DeserrQueryParamError<InvalidSearchSort>)]
     distinct: Option<String>,
     #[deserr(default, error = DeserrQueryParamError<InvalidSearchShowMatchesPosition>)]
     show_matches_position: Param<bool>,

meilisearch/src/search.rs

@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ pub struct SearchQuery {
     pub filter: Option<Value>,
     #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchSort>)]
     pub sort: Option<Vec<String>>,
-    // TODO Change the error to InvalidSearchDistinct
+    #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchDistinct>)]
-    #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchSort>)]
     pub distinct: Option<String>,
     #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchFacets>)]
     pub facets: Option<Vec<String>>,
@@ -393,8 +392,7 @@ pub struct SearchQueryWithIndex {
     pub filter: Option<Value>,
     #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchSort>)]
     pub sort: Option<Vec<String>>,
-    // TODO change error to InvalidSearchDistinct
+    #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchDistinct>)]
-    #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchSort>)]
     pub distinct: Option<String>,
     #[deserr(default, error = DeserrJsonError<InvalidSearchFacets>)]
     pub facets: Option<Vec<String>>,

milli/src/error.rs

@@ -134,6 +134,17 @@ only composed of alphanumeric characters (a-z A-Z 0-9), hyphens (-) and undersco
         }
     )]
     InvalidSortableAttribute { field: String, valid_fields: BTreeSet<String>, hidden_fields: bool },
+    #[error("Attribute `{}` is not filterable and thus, cannot be used as distinct attribute. {}",
+        .field,
+        match .valid_fields.is_empty() {
+            true => "This index does not have configured filterable attributes.".to_string(),
+            false => format!("Available filterable attributes are: `{}{}`.",
+                    valid_fields.iter().map(AsRef::as_ref).collect::<Vec<&str>>().join(", "),
+                    .hidden_fields.then_some(", <..hidden-attributes>").unwrap_or(""),
+                ),
+        }
+    )]
+    InvalidDistinctAttribute { field: String, valid_fields: BTreeSet<String>, hidden_fields: bool },
     #[error("Attribute `{}` is not facet-searchable. {}",
         .field,
         match .valid_fields.is_empty() {

milli/src/search/mod.rs

@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ use self::new::{execute_vector_search, PartialSearchResult};
 use crate::score_details::{ScoreDetails, ScoringStrategy};
 use crate::vector::Embedder;
 use crate::{
-    execute_search, filtered_universe, AscDesc, DefaultSearchLogger, DocumentId, Index, Result,
+    execute_search, filtered_universe, AscDesc, DefaultSearchLogger, DocumentId, Error, Index,
-    SearchContext, TimeBudget,
+    Result, SearchContext, TimeBudget, UserError,
 };
 
 // Building these factories is not free.
@@ -177,9 +177,15 @@ impl<'a> Search<'a> {
         }
 
         if let Some(distinct) = &self.distinct {
-            if !ctx.index.filterable_fields(ctx.txn)?.contains(distinct) {
+            let filterable_fields = ctx.index.filterable_fields(ctx.txn)?;
-                // TODO return a real error message
+            if !filterable_fields.contains(distinct) {
-                panic!("Distinct search field is not a filterable attribute");
+                let (valid_fields, hidden_fields) =
+                    ctx.index.remove_hidden_fields(ctx.txn, filterable_fields)?;
+                return Err(Error::UserError(UserError::InvalidDistinctAttribute {
+                    field: distinct.clone(),
+                    valid_fields,
+                    hidden_fields,
+                }));
             }
         }