# Any alternative solution to phrase query?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-alternative-solution-to-phrase-query/357502>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** painless\
**Created:** [April 16, 2024, 9:59am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-alternative-solution-to-phrase-query/357502 "2024-04-16T09:59:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zouxiang1993](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/zouxiang1993/32/133551_2.png) [@zouxiang1993](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/zouxiang1993)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:59am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-alternative-solution-to-phrase-query/357502/1 "2024-04-16T09:59:22Z")

</div>

I use Elasticsearch to store large amount of log data, so I'm particularly concerned abount storage costs.

This is a Lucene segment in my ES index:

```auto
1.5K _3ee.fdm
2.4G _3ee.fdt
172K _3ee.fdx
3.4K _3ee.fnm
172M _3ee.kdd
518K _3ee.kdi
555B _3ee.kdm
720B _3ee.si
279M _3ee_Lucene80_0.dvd
2.0K _3ee_Lucene80_0.dvm
390M _3ee_Lucene84_0.doc
1.2G _3ee_Lucene84_0.pos
452M _3ee_Lucene84_0.tim
6.8M _3ee_Lucene84_0.tip
2.3K _3ee_Lucene84_0.tmd

```

It shows that the `.pos file` accounts for ~25% of the total size.  
So I want to use `index_options: docs` to save the `.pos file` space and part of the `.doc file` space.

My question is: without the position data, is there any alternative solution to `phrase query` or `LIKE "%xxx yyy%" in MYSQL`?

For example, I have tried the script query, access ` _source field` in the script and use `contains` to replace the `phrase query`:

```auto
GET my_index/_search
{
    "script_fields": {
        "source_field": {
            "script": {
                "source": "params['_source']['msg']"
            }            
        },
        "source_field_contains_xxx_yyy": {
            "script": {
                "source": "params['_source']['msg'].contains('xxx yyy')"
            }            
        }        
    }
}

```

But it seems that the `_source field` can only be accessed in the `field context`, can't be accessed in the `filter context`.

> **[Field context | Painless Scripting Language \[8.13\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/painless/8.13/painless-field-context.html)**

> **[Filter context | Painless Scripting Language \[8.13\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/painless/8.13/painless-filter-context.html)**