Fuzzy matching when filtering room list

[tulir]

Currently the room list filter only matches complete substrings. It would be nice if it did some fuzzy matching instead, so you could e.g. type the first few letters of each word in a multi-word room name instead of typing the whole thing.

There's an earlier issue for this too (#3216), but for some reason it was closed by matrix-org/matrix-react-sdk#3754 even though that PR only adds unhomoglyphing rather than fuzzy searching.

[t3chguy]

Applies also to the new search dialog

[t3chguy]

Closing in favour of #21640

[MadLittleMods]

Re-opening as this has more history, buy-in, and the other issue was already proposed to be closed. #21121 also mentions that this is the overarching issue.

[t3chguy]

@MadLittleMods why reopen #21640 then?

[MadLittleMods]

@t3chguy It looks like there was more activity from the author to maybe indicate that they saw value in it (included in #23365). Seems like the value tracking the design task separately.

@kittykat is #21640 useful to you anymore?

[weeman1337]

Hey 👋 I really need fuzziness for the new search. It will save my nerves.

There is an issue about how to present it tot he user. I think the 100 % solution should provide feedback about why something is considered a search result.

Anyway what about implementing it without the visualisation hidden behind a labs setting?

For the algorithm I would give fzf a try. I am using it in many places and it provides good results.

[t3chguy]

@weeman1337 at the very least a Netlify build to allow P&D to play with it and help guide further calls in this area would be grand.