Mastering Vector Search for Developers

The practical guide to vector search for JavaScript developers and backend engineers.

By Ben Greenberg

Coming Soon from The Pragmatic Bookshelf

Welcome to the world of vector search! This book is your guide to understanding and implementing vector search systems, blending theory with hands-on code examples. Whether you’re a backend engineer or a curious developer, you’ll learn to build intelligent, efficient search systems that deliver value to your users.

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Featured Project

RealWorld Example App: Vector Search Edition

Throughout the book, you’ll enhance a full-stack blogging platform (inspired by Medium) with vector-powered functionality. You’ll embed content, enable similarity search, and layer in hybrid techniques to create a modern, intelligent search experience. This project grounds every concept in practical, real-world implementation.

Hands-on Project

Experience Vector Search in Action

Vector search finds content by meaning. Try it by suggesting a title for this book and see which Pragmatic Bookshelf book titles are most alike. *

* This is a simulated demo experience. Results do not reflect a real vector search engine.

About the Book

Vector search leverages advanced machine learning to deliver relevant, context-aware results.

This book covers:

What vector search is and why it matters Understand the fundamental concepts behind vector search and why it’s revolutionizing how we build search systems.
Generating and using vector embeddings Learn practical techniques to create, store, and leverage embeddings for real-world data and applications.
Building a vector search backend in Node.js Step through building a performant, scalable backend using JavaScript and Node.js, with hands-on code examples.
Designing and optimizing search APIs Discover best practices for API design, including how to expose powerful vector search features to your applications.
Hybrid and advanced search techniques Explore hybrid approaches that combine traditional and vector search, and learn advanced methods for boosting relevance.
Real-world use cases and practical tips See how companies use vector search in production, and get actionable tips to avoid common pitfalls.

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About the Author

Ben Greenberg is a developer advocate, educator, and author passionate about making complex topics accessible to all. He writes and speaks about modern software engineering, search, and developer productivity.

@hummusonrails