product page with options to filter products according prices, name etc

Hi!

1.
I have 5 product categories. Each category page has its products listed. I want cutomers to filter the category page according to prices, name, etc by using a menu list. Is it the SEARCH wizard I use to accomplish that? I have already a recordset rsProducts. I suppose I need to create new recordsets(Queries) for each option, right?
Are there possibilities using rsProducts and some javascripts so that the filtering can be done on the client side?

The menu list looks like:
<form method="post" action="">
<select name="filterProduct">
<option selected="selected" value="">filter products</option>
<option value="">by price</option>
<option value="">by weight</option>
<option value="">by color</option>
</select>
</from>

There is no button to start filtering. As soon as the customer selects an option, filtering should start immediately. Do I need javascript for that without button?
I am thinking the way to do it could be placing some dynamic data in the value attribute of options, where the values includes sessionID and other filter parameters.
But I really do not know how to do it? Could you guys walk me through this?

I also want to use the same functionality in the results page, to filter the search results. Searching within the searched results using the above menu list.

There is a sort server behavior in DataAssist that can be used to sort the recordset depending on the selection of a user. The typical scenario for this server behavior is to have columns on the results page that are linkable. When the user clicks on the link the page will be reloaded with the new URL parameter from the link. This parameter will then sort the recordset for you.

Here is a link to the DataAssist support page, in here under Solution Recipes is the Sorting by column links tutorial. There is video and a PDF for it. Please take a look at this doc to get an idea for how to add this server behavior to your results and product listing pages.

dataassist/

Once you are familiar with this server behavior you should be able to use it with a jump menu that has the URL parameters to trigger the sorting. Please post back with any questions that you have about this.

Hi Eric,

I have seen the Solution Recipes. I am familiar with it.But dataAssist inserts only hyperlinks. But I have a select list no columns.
I have tried to enter manual the type of links DataAssist generates like so:

<form method="post" action="" name="sortSearch">
<select name="sort2">
<option selected="selected" value="">filter your product ...</option>
<option value="result.php?ProductName">name</option>
<option value="result.php?ItemPrice">price: low to high</option>
<option value="result.php?ItemPrice">price: high to low</option>
</select>
</form>

Then I run QueryStringBinding, entered the value sort.
I get the error "there are no QueryString bindings defined for this page"?
How to proceed from here?

in the solution recipe, where does the sort parameter comes from?

The sort parameter should come from the URL that the user goes to when they click on a link. This should work the same for you with a list, but you should use a jump menu instead. This type of menu will take you to the page specified with the URL parameters that you use in the link.

This way when the user makes a selection the page is reloaded with the corresponding sort parameter. As for the error you are getting have you tried it the way it shoes in the Solution Recipe? I think it will be best to get it working like this first before you try to use the menu. Let me know if you get this error when doing it just like the Solution Recipe and I can get a ticket opened for you on this issue.

But which URL parameters should I use? Could you walk me through this with some example?

Sure, so your jump list should basically just have some links back to the same page, I will call it results. So in the jump menu you would have links that look like this:

results.php

With these links you will need to pass a parameter for the sort server behavior to check. I will call it sort. So the link with the parameter would look like this:

results.php?sort=<the column name to sort>

I think this is the best way to setup the URL parameter. Once you have done this you will need apply the sort server behavior. When you apply it you will use a custom trigger, if your parameter is named sort the trigger should look like this:

(isset($_GET['sort'])?$_GET['sort']:"")

Then below this you just configure the rest of the server behavior. In the sorting section add the column you want to sort, then specify ASC or DESC. If you want it to reverse the order when it is clicked on again make sure to check the box for 'Toggle sort on subsequent visits'. I'm including a screen shot of the interface so you can see how mine is setup.

Once you get it working like this you can edit the sort server behavior and where you specify the column change it to be the same value as the trigger, this way you just need to pass the sort parameter with any column name in it and it will sort that column.