Defaulting Search Values - Server Side Solution?

[aburningflame]

Hi all,
I am aware I can default / set variables in the client-side search events e.g. OnSearchRender.
However,I am trying to set these values server-side. Is anyone aware of a method to do this in OnGridExecute or another Server-Side event?

Essentially what I am trying to accomplish:
When a user searches the grid "save" this search in session
When the grid loads - I use OnGridExecute to apply a filter based on the "saved" search

This works fine - except that the search form does not have its values set. Unfortunately the form controls do not have an initial value property.
Is there a way to programmatically set this in a server-side event?

Any input is greatly appreciated - Thanks All!

[Sarah Mitchell]

Re: Defaulting Search Values - Server Side Solution?

Hi all,
I am aware I can default / set variables in the client-side search events e.g. OnSearchRender.
However,I am trying to set these values server-side. Is anyone aware of a method to do this in OnGridExecute or another Server-Side event?

Essentially what I am trying to accomplish:
When a user searches the grid "save" this search in session
When the grid loads - I use OnGridExecute to apply a filter based on the "saved" search

This works fine - except that the search form does not have its values set. Unfortunately the form controls do not have an initial value property.
Is there a way to programmatically set this in a server-side event?

Any input is greatly appreciated - Thanks All!

Hi Scott,

The search controls do have an Initial value property. In the Display Settings for a control in the Search Part, there is a "Initial value" property. Select one of your search controls in the Search Fields and use the "Search Properties" link to find the "Initial Value" setting. For a text box control, it will be sandwiched between the "Range Search" and "Keyword Search" properties. The initial value can be set to a session variable or page argument.

You could put the values you want to populate the search part with in the e._state object and set the value of the search part in the client-side onSearchPartRender event:

'In the OnGridExecute event:
e._state.State = "MA"

//In the client-side javascript onSearchRender event:
var state = {Grid.Object}.stateInfo["State"];
if (state) {
	{grid.object}.setValue('S','STATE',state);
}

Alternatively, you could set the Initial_Value property for the search fields via the e.tmpl property in the OnGridExecute event. EG,

e.tmpl.searchfield_info[1].Initial_Value = "Germany"

Use the "Xbasic" tab at the bottom of the Grid Builder to find the e.tmpl.searchfield_info[] that applies to each field in the search part. They're usually numbered starting at 1 and matching the order of the search fields.

For example, suppose I have 3 search fields, City, State, and Country, in the search part in this order:

City
State
Country

I could set their initial value property is as follows in the OnGridExecute event:

' Set Initial Value for City to "Boston"
e.tmpl.searchfield_info[1].Initial_Value = "Boston"

' Set Initial Value for State to "MA"
e.tmpl.searchfield_info[2].Initial_Value = "MA"

' Set Initial Value for Country to "USA"
e.tmpl.searchfield_info[3].Initial_Value = "USA"

I highly encourage you to search for "searchfield_info" and verify this is the case if you go this route. Hidden controls can change the numbering. Also note that if you ever re-order your search part, your Xbasic will need to be updated as well.

However, I recommend using the e._state object over changing the values using tmpl as the e._state method is not susceptible to breakage if you reorder your search controls.

Let me know what you end up doing.

[aburningflame]

Re: Defaulting Search Values - Server Side Solution?

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the response! Are you the smitchell user? :) I did end up figuring this one after a few hours out but did not have a chance to repost.
I now see the initial value but I think I wanted a more generic/dynamic approach that will work for other grids as well without having to hardcode field names.
This is working well on my first grid - as the search becomes more complex (e.g. mutiple choice dropdowns, checkboxes) I think the code will have to be modified but as a quick solution for a simple search this seems to work.

Here was my approach:

OnSearchPartFilterCompute:

evaluate_template("session."+e.tmpl.ComponentName+"_searchdata=e.SearchDataSubmitted") 'save search data to a session variable referenced by the component name - not sure how this will behave if you use a grid twice on the same page

OnGridExecute:

'compute initial filter by looping through search field info definitions and seeing if a session.componentName_searchData.X session variable exists with this varname
'(i might have to use .fieldname here not sure but at the moment they match and this works ok)
e.tmpl.filter_initial=""
for i=1 to e.tmpl.SearchField_Info.size()
	if variable_exists("session."+e.tmpl.ComponentName+"_searchData."+e.tmpl.SearchField_Info[i].varname) then
		dim filterVal as C=eval("session."+e.tmpl.ComponentName+"_searchData."+e.tmpl.SearchField_Info[i].varname)
		if filterVal<>"" then
			if e.tmpl.filter_initial<>"" then
				e.tmpl.filter_initial=e.tmpl.filter_initial+" AND "
			end if
			e.tmpl.filter_initial=e.tmpl.filter_initial+e.tmpl.SearchField_Info[i].searchExpression+"='"+filterVal+"'"
		end if
	end if
next


'save to state info for client side set
if variable_exists("session."+e.tmpl.ComponentName+"_searchData") then
	e._state.custom_search_data = json_generate(eval("session."+e.tmpl.ComponentName+"_searchData"))
else
	e._state.custom_search_data = ""
end if

That is all that is needed for the initial filtering, but the search wont have default values - and this is how I fixed that:
ClientSide OnSearchRender:

if ({Grid.Object}.stateInfo.custom_search_data){
	var custom_search_data=JSON.parse({Grid.Object}.stateInfo.custom_search_data);
	for (var key in custom_search_data){
		{grid.Object}.setValue('S',key,custom_search_data[key]);
	}
}

Then ran into an issue when Clearing Search Criteria still remembers your last search, so I added this code
AfterSearchCLear:

{grid.Object}.ajaxCallback('G','{Grid.RowNumber}:all','ClearCustomSearch','','',{});

XBasic Functions:

function ClearCustomSearch as c (e as p)
'cleanup session vars and state when clearing search so grid does not apply filter or default search values
	evaluate_template("delete session."+e.tmpl.ComponentName+"_searchdata")
	e._state.custom_search_data = ""
end function

[aburningflame]

Re: Defaulting Search Values - Server Side Solution?

I like the approach of setting the searchFieldInfo.initial_value in the OnGridExecute as this may make the code a little nicer and would circumvent the need for the state info / onSearchRender logic.
It may even assist with solving some of the other issues.

I will try this on the next grid.