Rewrite query parser in JavaScript

[reefdog]

This is a Very Large Task that's not on our immediate tasklist, but which task I'm creating so we can reference it from other issues/conversations, and so we have a place to start adding requirements/specs.

The existing query parser (which parses search input into ElasticSearch-compatible tokens) is written in Java and treated as an external service to the project. We'd like to rewrite this in JavaScript as an internal component.

[slifty]

It has become clear that this task needs to be taken on, since integration with the Java / Docker queryparser is blocking and there is no clear end in sight.

My first step here is going to be to inspect the Java and use that to try to create a documented skeleton of a new, JS based queryparser.

[slifty]

Some other resources (h/t @joeltg)

• http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/help/helpadv.htm
• http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/help/helpflds.htm
• http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm

This may be a useful utility: https://nearley.js.org/