Support archive

Low Search form with select dropdowns only

Mark 24 Jul 2013 10:25 question, complete

Hi there,

Please can you tell me where I am going wrong or if it is even possible.

I want to be able to search from 4 drop down selects, populated from 4 different category groups. My code is below but each time it returns all results. I am not using a keyword input at all in this form. Is that an issue?

Search page:


{exp:low_search:form query="{segment_3}" search_mode="all" result_page="careers/results" collection="careers"}
<fieldset>

{if error_message != ''}
<p class="error">{error_message}</p>
{/if}

<select name="location">
<option value="">-- Location --</option>
{exp:channel:categories channel="careers" style="linear" category_group="4"}
<option value="{category_id}"{if category_id IN ({low_search_category})} selected="selected"{/if}>
{category_name}
</option>
{/exp:channel:categories}
</select>

<select name="type">
<option value="">-- Contract Type --</option>
{exp:channel:categories channel="careers" style="linear" category_group="5"}
<option value="{category_id}"{if category_id IN ({low_search_category})} selected="selected"{/if}>
{category_name}
</option>
{/exp:channel:categories}
</select>

<select name="term">
<option value="">-- Contract Term --</option>
{exp:channel:categories channel="careers" style="linear" category_group="6"}
<option value="{category_id}"{if category_id IN ({low_search_category})} selected="selected"{/if}>
{category_name}
</option>
{/exp:channel:categories}
</select>

<select name="salary">
<option value="">-- Salary Range --</option>
{exp:channel:categories channel="careers" style="linear" category_group="7"}
<option value="{category_id}"{if category_id IN ({low_search_category})} selected="selected"{/if}>
{category_name}
</option>
{/exp:channel:categories}
</select>

<button type="submit">Search</button>
</fieldset>
{/exp:low_search:form}


Results Page:


{exp:low_search:keywords query="{segment_3}"}

{exp:low_search:results query="{segment_3}" limit="10" collection="careers"}
{if count == 1}<ol>{/if}
<li><a href="{comment_url_title_auto_path}">{title}</a></li>
{if count == total_results}</ol>{/if}
{if no_results}No search results{/if}
{/exp:low_search:results}


Many thanks in advance.

Replies

1. Low 24 Jul 2013 10:39

   You're filtering by category, and you need to make sure Low Search knows. The name="" attributes in your select-elements need to reflect that. So, for each of your select elements, use name="category[]". The square brackets are necessary because you're targeting multiple categories here.
   
   On top of that, I recon you'd want the selection to be inclusive, ie. results must match *all* selected categories. So instead of location OR type OR term OR salary, you'd want location AND type AND term AND salary.
   
   In EE parameter syntax, that's the difference between category="1|2|3|4" and category="1&2&3&4". Low Search will assume the former for any multiple valued input field (like the 4 combined select elements are in your case). If you add require_all="category" to the Form or Results tag, the latter will be used, so you only get results for entries that have all selected categories assigned to it.
   
   The search_mode="all" parameter is only needed for keyword searches and can be removed.

2. Mark 24 Jul 2013 11:19

   Thanks for this, it did the trick.
   
   Is there a way to get the select values into the keywords tag?
   
   So on the results page I could say your search for "XXXX, XXXX, XXXX" returned X results?

3. Low 24 Jul 2013 11:33

   You could use this inside a Results or Filters tag:
   
   

   {exp:channel:categories channel="careers" show="{low_search_category}" style="linear"} 
     {category_name} 
    {/exp:channel:categories}

   
   
   The (native) {absolute_results} is only available in the Results tag.

4. Mark 24 Jul 2013 11:39

   You sir, are a legend. Many thanks for your help today!