Configuring wildcard search in record search

You make an attribute wildcard searchable in record searches by changing the value of the mdex-property_TextSearchAllowsWildcards attribute in the PDR, using either a request to the Configuration Web Service for loading the schema, or by sending this configuration to Endeca Server through a connector in Integrator ETL.

The mdex-property_TextSearchAllowsWildcards attribute of a PDR enables wildcard searches in record search against the attribute. The valid settings for this attribute are:
  • If set to true, an attribute is wildcard searchable during record searches.
  • If set to false, an attribute is not wildcard searchable during record searches. The default is false.

Note that an attribute must be record searchable in order for it to allow wildcard search in record searches. This means that before you set mdex-property_TextSearchAllowsWildcards to true, make sure that mdex-property_IsTextSearchable is set to true.

Note: Enabling wildcard search for an attribute that contains large portions of text (either via numerous or large attribute values with text content) can take a long time to process. Before making this change, examine your data to decide which of the attributes in your record set need to be wildcard searchable. Also, turn off wildcard search in record searches for those attributes on which it won't be used by the users of your front-end application.

Example: enabling wildcard search for an attribute

For example, the following web service request to the Configuration Web Service enables wildcard search for the attribute VehicleModel: 
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <soap:Body>
    <config:configTransaction
     xmlns:config="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/config/services/types/3/0" 
     xmlns:mdex="http://www.endeca.com/MDEX/config/XQuery/2009/09">
     <config:updateProperties>
       <mdex:record>
        <mdex-property_Key>VehicleModel</mdex-property_Key>
        <mdex-property_TextSearchAllowsWildcards>true</mdex-property_TextSearchAllowsWildcards>
       </mdex:record>
     </config:updateProperties>
    </config:configTransaction>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>