A search index

Is it possible to use the search extension to make a search index as click-able links ( A B C D etc) so that when you click a letter it searches a database column to find a text starting with the respective letter A B C D etc and the results page shows a list of products starting with the selected letter?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

Out of the box I don't believe it is supported no.

But if you are happy to have a constant alphabet across the top then you could just pass query string variables that would be picked up by Data Assist Search to filter the content.

i.e.

A | B | C | D | E | F

Where the link on A would be url?filter=A for example.

There are probably many different ways of doing it, but this seems like the easiest.

Hey Superpac,

Ian is correct in this. You will set up a list of letters, each linking to the search page with a URL parameter ( yourpage.php?filter=a ). Create a search page with a recordset of all page titles and a URL parameter named the same as the one linked on the search page ( this is configured in the Bindings panel ). From there you enter the DataAssist search wizard and set up a Search Comparison as Advanced Text Search and finish the Wizard. Next, open the DataAssist Search server behavior on the search page. Change the trigger to before page load, and edit the search filter in the search filter list. Change the comparison to Begins With and change the value to the URL parameter created earlier.

That should do it.

If you have trouble, please let us know

Thanks Ian, that's precisely what I would like to implement but I have no idea how to do it. In the database, there is one product name field which I would like it to search so on ther results page I would like to have that product name, and a short piece of content. These two fields are in the database. Thanks for your help so far

Brilliant thanks Matthew, I will give it a go!

Just some clarification.
I have set up the links on page
<a href="search-index-results.php?filter=A">A</a> | <a href="search-index-results.php?filter=B">B</a> etc

The recordset on the search-index-results.php page... what do I put in the space marked in red? See attached. do I put filter= ,leave it empty or.....?

Many thanks...

You just need to pop the URL Variable in there.

So if you are passing results.php?filter=A

then the world filter needs to go in your circled box.

Cheers
Ian

Many thanks Ian. I have tried to follow what Matthew recommended. I am not very clear on editing the server behaviour and have tried out various things but just can't get it to function. In the attached image, I think I have 1,2 and 3 right but not sure and I have tried filter in 4 but it won't work. Any pointers would be much appreciated.

Sorry, my mistake!

On the first graphic you showed (the dreamweaver recordset) you don't apply any filter at all (as thats what DA Search does for you).

So take any filters out of the actual Dreamweaver recordset.

In the DA Search window

1. Looks Correct
2. Looks Correct
3. Looks Correct
4. in the php tags replace the $_POST['search'] text (both instances) to $_GET['filter']. You are pulling the data back from a URL string so you need to use $_GET. $_POST only works when submitting a form.

Hope that helps?

Thanks
Ian

Brilliant thanks Ian, it's working perfectly!! I am stoked! A big thanks to you and Matthew!
Cheers