- Added pre-calculation of estimated chunk count for HNSW capacity in `generate_dense_embeddings_centralized` to optimize indexing performance.
- Implemented binary vector generation with memory-mapped storage for efficient cascade search, including metadata saving.
- Introduced SPLADE sparse index generation with improved handling and metadata storage.
- Updated `ChainSearchEngine` to prefer centralized binary searcher for improved performance and added fallback to legacy binary index.
- Deprecated `BinaryANNIndex` in favor of `BinarySearcher` for better memory management and performance.
- Enhanced `SpladeEncoder` with warmup functionality to reduce latency spikes during first-time inference.
- Improved `SpladeIndex` with cache size adjustments for better query performance.
- Added methods for managing binary vectors in `VectorMetadataStore`, including batch insertion and retrieval.
- Created a new `BinarySearcher` class for efficient binary vector search using Hamming distance, supporting both memory-mapped and database loading modes.
- Added `splade_encoder.py` for ONNX-optimized SPLADE encoding, including methods for encoding text and batch processing.
- Created `SPLADE_IMPLEMENTATION.md` to document the SPLADE encoder's functionality, design patterns, and integration points.
- Introduced migration script `migration_009_add_splade.py` to add SPLADE metadata and posting list tables to the database.
- Developed `splade_index.py` for managing the SPLADE inverted index, supporting efficient sparse vector retrieval.
- Added verification script `verify_watcher.py` to test FileWatcher event filtering and debouncing functionality.
