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Exposing Filter Fields in the Search Center

The configuration steps that you must do to expose filter fields in the Search Center are as follows:

1. 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.

2. Define the filter fields for the search index.

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

3. 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 business component. Retain the base fields like SearchText, Category, and SelectedSearchCategory.

4. Add filter fields to this business component.

   The fields must 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 business component. Because 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.

   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 example, Solution Search Entry already exposes this field.

5. You now must create special filter applet (if one does not already exist).

   A new filter applet will be needed to display the newly created filter fields in the search center and will be displayed instead of the Basic Search Applet or Basic Search Applet (DotCom), depending upon which application type in which this special applet is exposed. A copy of the Basic Search Applet or Basic Search Applet (DotCom) can be made for this purpose. This applet will have the newly created filter fields exposed to allow the user to enter values.

   1. Use the Solution Search Applet and base it on the Solution Search Entry business component that you modified in the previous step.
   2. Add a control and base it on the new BC field Created that was created in the previous step. The applet should expose the Keywords control as well. Because the Created field is a date field, the Runtime attribute must be set to TRUE. This will draw the date picker control.
   3. Map the Control to an Applet Web Template Item.
6. Define this applet as a Toggle applet for the Basic Search Applet or Basic Search Applet (DotCom) and set properties according to the table below:

   Property	Value
   Name	For example, Solution Search Entry Applet, or any other 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). This is the name of the search category as defined in Siebel Tools.

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

7. 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.

8. Compile the changes to the SRF, and use this new SRF in your application.