Sphinx search / Filter provides different results then same query against database

Question

In my config file ..

sql_query = select pr.id, pr.sf_skus, pr.name, pr.description, pr.sf_vendors,
            pr.sf_product_kw, \
            pr.sf_family_kw, pr.sf_class_kw, pr.sf_group_kw, pr.sf_category_kw, \
            pr.sf_sku_descriptions, \
            pc.item_category_id, pc.item_group_id, pc.item_class_id, \
            pc.item_family_id \
            from products as pr \
            left join product_cats as pc on pc.product_id = pr.id

sql_attr_uint = item_category_id
sql_attr_uint = item_group_id
sql_attr_uint = item_class_id
sql_attr_uint = item_family_id

when i run ....

search --filter item_family_id 12

I get a total of 26 documents found.

on the database when i run (the exact same query (i think))...

select pr.id, pr.sf_skus, pr.name, pr.description, pr.sf_vendors, pr.sf_product_kw,
pr.sf_family_kw, pr.sf_class_kw, pr.sf_group_kw, pr.sf_category_kw,
pr.sf_sku_descriptions,
pc.item_category_id, pc.item_group_id, pc.item_class_id,
pc.item_family_id
from products as pr
join product_cats as pc on pc.product_id = pr.id

where pc.item_family_id = 12

I get 41 results.

Shouldn't these two be identical? What am i doing wrong. TIA

Answer 1

First of all you use different joins (LEFT JOIN in first query and JOIN in second). Second, you can run mysql client and watch to your index content using:

SELECT * FROM your_index LIMIT 100; 

It can be that your query to sphinx returns only part of results.