How to run GroupDocs.Search for .NET in Python

📖 About This Repository

This repository demonstrates how to use GroupDocs.Search for .NET in Python applications using pythonnet. It provides two distinct implementation approaches to overcome the challenges of loading .NET assemblies with embedded dependencies in Python:

🎯 Two Implementation Approaches

1. Wrapper-Based Approach (run_search_wrapper.py)

Uses a custom C# wrapper library that encapsulates common search operations
Provides simplified static methods for building indexes and performing searches
Ideal for straightforward search tasks with minimal Python/.NET interop complexity
Best for: Quick prototyping, simple search workflows, and users who prefer high-level APIs

2. Manual Type Resolution Approach (run_search_manual.py)

Uses the wrapper only as a dependency resolver for embedded assemblies
Provides direct access to GroupDocs.Search types and methods
Offers full control over index creation and search customization
Best for: Complex search scenarios, advanced customization, and developers who need fine-grained control

Both approaches solve the core challenge of loading GroupDocs.Search's obfuscated and embedded dependencies in Python environments.

🚧 The Challenge: Dependency Resolution in Python

Why Direct Import Fails

GroupDocs.Search for .NET uses obfuscation and embedded dependencies to protect intellectual property. This creates a fundamental challenge when trying to use it directly with pythonnet:

# ❌ This approach WILL NOT work
import os
import sys

# Load coreclr first
from pythonnet import load
load("coreclr")

import clr

# Add folder with the library and dependencies to the system path
dll_dir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "dlls"))
sys.path.append(dll_dir)

# Add reference to the library
clr.AddReference("GroupDocs.Search")
# Import the Index class
from GroupDocs.Search import Index
index = Index("search_index")
index.Add("documents_folder")

🔍 Root Cause Analysis

The Problem: GroupDocs.Search embeds referenced assemblies (like Aspose.* libraries) directly into the main DLL with obfuscation. When pythonnet tries to load the assembly:

Type Enumeration Phase: pythonnet attempts to enumerate all public types to build Python module proxies
Dependency Resolution: During enumeration, the CLR tries to resolve embedded dependencies
Failure Point: The default .NET assembly resolver cannot extract obfuscated, embedded DLLs from resources
Result: ReflectionTypeLoadException is thrown, causing pythonnet to fail creating the Python module

Why This Happens:

Most obfuscators rely on a bootstrap/resolver that runs in your entry assembly
Since Python is the host (not a .NET executable), the bootstrap never executes
The embedded dependencies remain inaccessible to the standard .NET assembly resolver

💡 The Solution

This repository provides two approaches to solve this challenge:

Wrapper Library: A C# wrapper that handles dependency resolution and exposes simplified APIs
Manual Resolution: Direct type resolution using reflection to bypass import issues

Both methods ensure the embedded dependencies are properly resolved before attempting to use GroupDocs.Search types.

What is GroupDocs.Search?

GroupDocs.Search for .NET is a comprehensive document search library that allows you to:

Create search indexes for 50+ document formats (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, etc.)
Perform full-text search across multiple document types simultaneously
Search with various query types: simple text, boolean queries, regular expressions, and fuzzy search
Get detailed search results with relevance scores, occurrence counts, and term highlighting
Work with multiple indexes for large-scale document collections
Customize search behavior with synonyms, stop words, and character replacements

Key Features:

Support for 50+ document formats
Multiple search query types (text, boolean, regex, fuzzy)
Cross-platform .NET support
High-performance indexing and searching
Flexible licensing options

What is PythonNet?

PythonNet is a package that provides near-seamless integration between Python and the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR). It allows you to:

Call .NET assemblies directly from Python code
Use .NET types and methods as if they were native Python objects
Access the full .NET ecosystem from Python applications
Maintain performance with minimal overhead

Key Benefits:

Direct access to .NET libraries from Python
No need for separate .NET applications or services
Maintains Python's simplicity while leveraging .NET's power
Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS)

Official Repository: pythonnet/pythonnet

📋 Prerequisites

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 10/11 (x64), Linux, or macOS
Python: 3.8+ (recommended: 3.11 or 3.12)
.NET Runtime: .NET 6.0 or later
Memory: Minimum 4GB RAM (8GB+ recommended for large documents)
Disk Space: 500MB+ for dependencies and temporary files

Python ↔ pythonnet ↔ .NET Compatibility Matrix

Python Version	pythonnet Version	.NET Runtime	Supported Target Frameworks	Notes
3.7 – 3.10	2.5.x	.NET Framework 4.6.2 – 4.8	net40, net45, net462, net48	✅ Best for legacy .NET Framework DLLs (e.g., GroupDocs.Annotation net462) Requires 64-bit Python + .NET Framework runtime
3.7 – 3.10	2.5.x	Limited .NET Core 3.1 / .NET 5	Some .NET Standard 2.0 DLLs	⚠️ Unstable, not guaranteed Use only if DLL explicitly supports .NET Standard
3.8 – 3.12	3.x (≥3.0.0)	.NET 6 / .NET 7 / .NET 8	net6.0, net7.0, net8.0, netstandard2.0/2.1	✅ Best for modern .NET builds Requires .NET Desktop Runtime 6+
3.13+	3.x (≥3.0.3)	.NET 6 / .NET 7 / .NET 8	Same as above	✅ Supported Recommended for latest Python versions

Recommended Configuration

For this repository, we recommend:

Python 3.11 with pythonnet 3.0.5
.NET 6.0 Desktop Runtime
Windows x64 environment

🚀 Getting Started / Installation

Step 1: Python Environment Setup

# Create Python 3.11 virtual environment
py -3.11 -m venv venv311

# Activate virtual environment (Windows)
venv311\Scripts\activate

# Verify Python version
python --version

Step 2: Install Dependencies

# Upgrade pip and essential tools
python -m ensurepip --upgrade
python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

# Install pythonnet 3.0.5
python -m pip install pythonnet==3.0.5

# Install project requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Verify Installation

# Test pythonnet and .NET integration
import sys, clr
print("Python:", sys.version)
print("pythonnet imported OK:", clr.__version__)
clr.AddReference("System")
import System
print("CLR OK, .NET version:", System.Environment.Version)

Step 4: Build the Wrapper Library

# Navigate to wrapper directory
cd wrapper

# Build and publish the wrapper
dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false -o ./../dlls

# Return to root directory
cd ..

Step 5: Run the Examples

# Activate virtual environment (if not already active)
.venv\Scripts\activate

# Run wrapper-based approach
python run_search_wrapper.py

# Run manual type resolution approach
python run_search_manual.py

📁 Repository Structure

GroupDocs.Search-for-PythonNet/
├── 📁 lics/                         # put here the license GroupDocs.Search.lic file
├── 📁 dlls/                         # Compiled .NET assemblies and dependencies
│   ├── [GroupDocs.Search.dll]        # Main GroupDocs.Search library (not delivered in repository)
│   ├── GroupDocs.Search.Wrapper.dll  # Custom wrapper library (not delivered in repository)
│   └── [other dependencies]          # Additional .NET dependencies
├── 📁 files/                        # Sample documents for testing
│   ├── invoice.01.txt               # Input document for search indexing
│   └── sample.api.01.json           # Additional sample document
├── 📁 index/                        # Search index files (generated)
│   ├── index.info                   # Index metadata
│   └── [index files]                # Index data files
├── 📁 wrapper/                      # C# wrapper library source code
│   ├── SearchWrapper.cs             # Main wrapper implementation
│   ├── GroupDocs.Search.Wrapper.csproj  # Project file
│   └── bin/                         # Build output directory
├── 📄 run_search_wrapper.py         # Example: Wrapper-based approach
├── 📄 run_search_manual.py          # Example: Manual type resolution
├── 📄 requirements.txt              # Python dependencies
└── 📄 README.md                     # This documentation

📂 Folder Descriptions

Folder/File	Purpose	Contents
`lics/`	Licenses folder	This repository does not contain any license.
`dlls/`	Compiled assemblies	Contains all .NET DLLs required for runtime, including GroupDocs.Search and the custom wrapper
`files/`	Sample documents	Test documents for search indexing examples (input documents)
`index/`	Search index	Generated search index files for document searching
`wrapper/`	C# source code	Custom wrapper library that simplifies GroupDocs.Search usage
`run_search_wrapper.py`	Wrapper example	Demonstrates simplified search using the wrapper library
`run_search_manual.py`	Manual example	Shows direct type resolution and advanced search control
`requirements.txt`	Dependencies	Python package requirements (pythonnet)

🔧 Key Components

Wrapper Library (wrapper/SearchWrapper.cs)

Provides simplified static methods for common search tasks
Handles dependency resolution internally
Exposes high-level APIs for Python consumption

Python Examples

Wrapper approach: Simple, high-level API for basic search needs
Manual approach: Full control over index creation and search customization

💼 Use Cases

🏢 Business Applications

Document Discovery & Knowledge Management

Legal firms: Search through contracts, agreements, and legal documents for specific clauses
Healthcare: Find patient records and medical documents using keywords and terms
Education: Search through course materials, research papers, and educational content
Real Estate: Locate property documents, contracts, and specifications using search terms

Enterprise Content Search

Manufacturing: Search technical documentation, specifications, and quality control documents
Financial Services: Find compliance documents, audit reports, and financial records
Government: Search policy documents, regulations, and administrative materials
Insurance: Locate claim documents, policy information, and risk assessments

Content Management & Publishing

Publishing houses: Search through manuscripts, research materials, and editorial content
Marketing agencies: Find campaign materials, brand guidelines, and creative assets
Technical writing: Search technical documentation and knowledge bases
Translation services: Find reference materials and translation glossaries

🔧 Technical Use Cases

Automated Document Processing

Batch indexing: Process hundreds of documents and create searchable indexes
API integration: Add search capabilities as part of document processing workflows
Cloud services: Integrate search functionality into cloud-based applications
Microservices: Deploy search services as part of larger document processing systems

Custom Search Workflows

Form processing: Search through form submissions and responses
Report analysis: Find specific data and patterns in generated reports
Document comparison: Search for differences between document versions
Template matching: Find documents matching specific criteria or templates

🎯 This Repository Solves

The Core Problem: Python developers need to implement document search functionality but face challenges with:

Loading .NET libraries with embedded dependencies
Complex type resolution in pythonnet environments
Maintaining compatibility across different Python/.NET versions

Our Solution Provides:

✅ Simplified Integration: Easy-to-use wrapper for common search tasks
✅ Full Control: Direct access to all GroupDocs.Search features
✅ Dependency Resolution: Automatic handling of embedded .NET dependencies
✅ Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS
✅ Production Ready: Tested approaches for real-world applications

⚠️ Important Notes

🚧 Early Implementation Status

This solution represents an early implementation for using GroupDocs.Search with pythonnet. While it successfully demonstrates both wrapper-based and manual type resolution approaches, please note:

Current Status:

✅ Functional: Both implementation approaches work as demonstrated
✅ Tested: Examples have been validated with basic search scenarios
⚠️ Limited Testing: Not yet extensively tested across all GroupDocs.Search features
⚠️ Production Readiness: Requires additional testing for production environments

🔍 Recommended Next Steps

Before Production Use:

Comprehensive Testing: Test with your specific document types and search requirements
Performance Validation: Evaluate performance with large document collections and complex queries
Error Handling: Implement robust error handling for edge cases
Security Review: Ensure compliance with your security and data protection requirements

For Development:

Use the wrapper approach for quick prototyping and simple search tasks
Use the manual approach when you need full control over index properties and search customization
Consider extending the wrapper with additional methods for your specific use cases

🤝 Contributing & Feedback

We welcome your feedback, test results, and suggestions for improvements! Your input will help us:

Refine the implementation approaches
Add more comprehensive examples
Improve error handling and edge cases
Explore additional GroupDocs.Search features

How to Contribute:

Test the examples with your documents and use cases
Report any issues or unexpected behavior
Suggest additional wrapper methods or examples
Share your successful integration stories

🏷️ Keywords

Core Technologies: pythonnet, GroupDocs.Search, .NET, Python, document search, CLR integration, assembly loading, dependency resolution

Document Processing: document search, full-text search, search indexing, document indexing, search queries, search results, document discovery, content search, enterprise search

Technical Implementation: wrapper library, type resolution, reflection, embedded dependencies, obfuscated assemblies, pythonnet integration, .NET interop, cross-platform

Business Applications: document discovery, knowledge management, enterprise search, content management, legal document search, healthcare documentation, educational search, technical documentation search

Development & Integration: API integration, microservices, cloud services, batch processing, automated workflows, search automation, enterprise solution, production deployment

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 2 Commits
files		files
index		index
wrapper		wrapper
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
requirements.txt		requirements.txt
run_search_manual.py		run_search_manual.py
run_search_wrapper.py		run_search_wrapper.py
verify_setup.py		verify_setup.py

License

groupdocs-search/GroupDocs.Search-for-PythonNet

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