Using custom data in cursors, not the object's ID

[mboynes]

I am considering approaches for integrating WPGraphQL on a search page powered by Elasticsearch where results will be ordered by relevance. I'd love to use cursor pagination, but I'm running into a wall and I could use some advice on the best way to approach it.

The issue that's most impactful is that WPGraphQL uses only the object's ID to generate a cursor, and that isn't customizable. This sets an expectation that an object (post, in my case) can independently provide relevant cursor information to navigate a list of nodes. In my use case, that doesn't work; my nodes are ordered by relevance, and a single post doesn't know its location in a set of search results. I do have the data that would allow me to paginate results using a cursor, though. I know the score of each search result and I could generate cursors based on the score, and use that to get the next set of results.

The best idea I've come up with is that I should create a new connection with my own custom extension of PostObjectConnectionResolver. With my own resolver, I think I should be able to replace the cursor with my own values. Is that the recommended approach, or am I missing a better option? I was hoping to be able to use the existing connections since I have Elasticsearch seamlessly integrated with WordPress otherwise. If I could seamlessly integrate this too, I could create a WPGraphQL extension that wouldn't require a developer to modify their search query, it would Just Work.

Not coincidentally, this may be relevant to #1818.