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Using Search Filter Fields on the Search Center UI

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Filter fields can also be exposed on the UI to allow users to control the search results that get returned. Certain search indices like Solution, Literature, Service Requests, Decision Issues come exposed with filter fields in the preconfigured state. Filter fields will appear on the UI as various UI controls like drop-down lists, check boxes, pick lists, text box, and date controls.

In addition, for certain search categories like Solution, Literature, Service Request, Decision Issues and Product; filter fields are exposed on the UI along with the Keywords control. This allows the user to refine their searches to a subset of records. For example, the Catalog Category field is exposed as a filter field on the UI. Users can search for the keyword Dell Computers only in the Catalog Category called Personal Computer.

To expose new filter fields in the Search Center, there are three major steps which you need to follow, which are listed below. The steps are Search Configuration, Search Administration, and Search Execution.

Search Configuration

The configuration steps that need to be done to expose filter fields in the Search Center are listed below.

Determine the search category for which you want to expose filter fields.

For this example, assume you want to expose the date field Created for the Solution (Call Center) search category.

Define the filter fields for the search index.

You would create a filter field called Created in the underlying search index Solution.

Check out the Search Execution or a relevant project in Tools, and create a copy of the Search Entry virtual business component to create your own custom business component.

For example, you would choose the Solution Search Entry buscomp. Retain the base fields like SearchText, Category, and SelectedSearchCategory.

Add filter fields to this buscomp.

The fields should be named the same as the filter fields for the Search Category that you plan to customize.

For example, add a field called Created to the buscomp. Since this is a date field set the Type to DTYPE_UTCDATETIME.

If the category uses Catalog Category visibility then it may also be a good idea to expose the Catalog Category field on the UI.

NOTE:  Even though Catalog Category field is not really a filter field, it can still be exposed on the UI, as long as the search index includes this field in the index field map.

For the example, Solution Search Entry already exposes this field.
You now need to create special filter applet (if one does not already exist).

The filter applet will be used in the place of the Basic Search Applet or Basic Search Applet (DotCom), depending on which application type this special applet is exposed. Use the DotCom version of the applet for customer applications and the other one for High interactivity or SI+(??) apps. A copy of the Basic Search Applet or Basic Search Applet (DotCom) can be made for this purpose. This applet will have the filter fields exposed as some UI control, apart from the Keyword control, to allow the user to enter values.

For the example, you will use the Solution Search Applet that is based on the Solution Search Entry buscomp that you modified in the previous step.
Then add a control based on the new BC field Created that was created in the previous step. The applet should expose the Keywords control as well.
Since Created is a date field, the Runtime attribute should be set to TRUE. This will draw the date picker control.
You must also map the Control to an Applet Web Template Item.
Define this applet as a Toggle applet for the Basic Search Applet or Basic Search Applet (DotCom) and add the following values.
Name: Solution Search Entry Applet (or some unique name).
Applet: Solution Search Entry Applet.
Auto Toggle Field: SelectedSearchCategory (It is important to retain this field in the BC).
Auto Toggle Value: Solution (Call Center) - The name of the search category that is defined in Tools.

NOTE:  Based on the search category the user chooses at run time, the toggle applet whose Auto Toggle Value matches the search category currently chosen will appear.

Add the new business component you just created to the Search Execution business object.

If you do not complete this step, you will get an error when accessing this search category in the Search Center.

Now compile the changes to the SRF and use this new SRF in your application.

Search Administration

If you added a new search filter field in the previous steps, then you have to perform the following steps.

Create a new Search Index.

Whenever you add a new filter field, you are changing the schema of the Hummingbird table. Therefore the index has to be created again. Make sure that you have the right settings defined. It is important to choose the right Translation Table value depending on whether you connect to a Unicode or a code page database. For information on creating new search indices, see Working with Indices.

Index the category to which you added the filter field. For information on generating indices, see Working with Indices.
Navigate to Search Administration > Advanced Search Settings.

Make sure the settings defined for the default language are correct. This information will be used at search time.

Search Execution

To test the filter fields at runtime follow the following steps.

Open up the application, that uses the search category for which you added the filter fields, then open the Search Center.
Choose the search category for which you created a special applet in Tools. The special filter fields + the keyword field should now be visible. If the search category uses Access Control visibility the Catalog Category field may also be visible depending on whether it is mapped.

In the example, you would open the Call Center application and then pick the Solution option. The special filter applet should appear with the Created field exposed on the UI.

Enter values in the fields, and then click Search.

Enter the text you want to search for in the Keywords field and values in the other fields that may be used to filter the search results. For example, you may want to restrict the results to a particular Catalog Category. You would enter, as an example, a date value like > 12/12/01 in the Created field, then enter any keyword like motors, and click Search.

The results that come back should contain the keyword you look for and also be constrained by the filter values.

All solutions with the Created date > than the mentioned date and with the keyword motors will be returned.

Notes

If the filter fields exposed on the UI are also used in the filter search spec, the UI values will be ignored. The filter search spec always takes precedence over the UI filters.
UI filter fields cannot be exposed for advanced search category.
Boolean searches are not supported on filter fields. For example., entering a search keyword like Installation AND Upgrade in the filter field is not supported.

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