Saturday, July 13, 2013

SharePoint 2013 Search: Cascading Refinements of Multi-Value Properties

My cascading refinement solution builds upon the instant refinement solution described in my previous post. The modifications update the result counts in other multi-refinement property sections as well as disables the filters that are no longer available because of the initial refinement.

This post describes a high level overview of the steps necessary for the cascading refinement functionality. You may find the code and more detailed steps in my new Enhancing the Search Experience in SharePoint 2013 guide book.


Step 1: Store the Property Selected First

Since the cascading is based on the property that is refined first, you must store the property.
 

Step 2: Evaluate the List Data and Modify Accordingly

At the top of the file, create a new array to store and process the list data and previous refiners. Add logic to set the list data to the previous refiners.

Step 3: Determine if Filter is Still Available and Update the Refinement Count

Within the !hasNoListData condition block, change the refiners.push logic.
 

Step 4: Flag Filters that Should Be Disabled


Flagging the filters that should be disabled involves two modifications. The first is to add logic to the hasFilterTokens condition. The second portion involves adding an else condition to the hasFIlterTokens if statement.

Step 5: Save Changes to the Template File


Step 6: Modify the Body Display Template

Within the for-loop, create an isDisabled variable and a fontWeight variable.
In the isSelected if statement, add fontweight=”bold”; :
Branch the else statement to check for isDisabled.

For the disabled version, just copy the input for the unselected check box but add the disabled=”disabled” property.

Finally in the label, add the a style property using the fontWeight variable.

Save the changes to the body file.

Step 7: Test the Cascade Functionality


Navigate to the search results page that contains the multi value refinements:


 
Click on one of the filters.
 
GET ALL OF THE CODE AND DETAILED STEPS IN MY NEW SEARCH EXPERIENCE GUIDE:

 

SPECIAL LOW KINDLE PRICE!!!

17 comments:

  1. Hi sir, Very good explanation, but still I am facing little problem, if you don't mind can you please explain with an example?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The full example is available in my Enhancing the Search Experience guide book.

      Delete
  2. Steve - I bought your book today - and it is wonderful - thanks. However, I'm trying to figure our how to create the physical multi-value refinements that are to appear on the search results page such as those shown above. Is there a post that would show me how to go about that?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The bcs bonus chapter shows a little. Some of the properties are set to Refinable. For multi-value you must also check the Allow Multiple Values. Then when you are configuring the refinenent web part you select the multi-value display template.

      Delete
    2. Let me know if you need explicit steps. I'll plan on creating a post on it.

      Delete
  3. I actually started on something similar in a project today, not seeing this post before. In your approach, are you storing the initial refiners, and then setting values/disable as needed? Also, if you have a third refiner which limits what you see in the Category refiner, will that also update the counts of the sub-category refiner?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Mikael! I've run into your blog/articles many times. My solution treats the first refiner selected as the controller such that it forces the second and third set to change their counts and become disabled if now there are zero occurances. Let me check about the behavior of the third set if something is selected in second and I'll let you know (currently on train).

      Delete
    2. Here are the answers to your questions:

      1) Yes I store all initial refiners. You need to do this otherwise the postback on the selection doesn't bring all of the original refiners back again (only the selected ones).

      2) Yes. Selecting a refiner from the first category, updates the second and third. Selecting a second refiner from the second category updates the third and the counts in the first one.

      Send me an email (steve at stevethemanmann.com) and I can give you more details...

      -=Steve

      Delete
  4. Hello Steve I bought your book and implemented cascading solution, but I am facing one problem. With your solution if I select a value from first category it will retain all filters under that category and disable filter that are no longer avaialbe in other category. Now when I select some filter value from different category I want retain that category state and disbale filters in other category that are not available, this is not happening right now. Cascading works for only first selected category
    Please help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first category becomes the controller. I'll look at my code and send you an update.

      Delete
    2. The quickest way to change this behavior is to remove the entire if-else-if block at the bottom of Filter_MultiValue.html that checks the PropertySelectedFirst. The reason I implemented the first category as the controller is, as you will see, without it the user is locked into that first selection. You would need a clear button to reset the refiners.

      Delete
    3. Sorry Steve this is not working as I am expecting. How can I share my updated js with you so that you can check the changes which I did are correct or not.

      Delete
    4. You can send to steve at stevethemanmann.com. I'll try to play with it on my end in the mean time...

      Delete
  5. Hi Steve, I bought your book and implemented cascading solution. Only Instant Refinement of Multi Value Properties works. The cascading solution does not affect my site. Can I send my files to you through email so that you can tell me what I did wrong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have an updated template. Send me an email - steve at stevethemanmann.com.

      Delete
  6. Hi Steve, it's possible with your solution, to filter from the refiner panel a google maps ubications?, for example integrating the google api with the refiners? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The refiner values from google maps would have to be part of the crawled properties, otherwise, the OOTB search refinement would not know how to refine the results.

      Delete

Matched Content