Thread: Advanced Search Form

Advanced Search Form

Hi:

One of the TOP THREE key features in any classifieds ads site is the power to perform complicated queries (searches).

An Advanced Search Form will make it easier for users to find what they are looking for, increasing exposure, traffic, loyalty and sales.

I would need the ability to add/create fields, so that an Advance Search Form could filter by categories, subcategories, etc, that is, by almost all types of fields included per record/ad.

For example, these four fields (in pull down menus) for motor vehicle records/ads:
Vehicle Type, Brand, State, City
that is, CARS>LEXUS>FL>MIAMI

Or

For example, these four fields (in pull down menus) for real estate records/ads:
Property Type, Property Status, CITY, Price
that is, COMMERCIAL, FOR SALE, MIAMI, $950,000

POWER/ADVANCED SEARCH CAPABILITIES is one of the KEY tools any successful classified ads system should have.

Do these features are available in CP? Will it be in 3.0?

Thanks.

Re: Advanced Search Form

There isn't an advanced search feature in the current version, although I understand there will be some real improvements made to regional search in v3.0.

At the end of the day, an experienced coder should be able to achieve the results you are after if certain features are not there.

Re: Advanced Search Form

One such service is the MOST important elements of a good search engine.
I bought the software, but with this search functionality is useless to me - sorry...
(Search by seller, location, condition, price range!!!, etc.)

Re: Advanced Search Form

Have you tried using a plugin for your search requirement? Here's one that you can try http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search-everything/

Search Everything increases the ability of the default Wordpress Search, options included:

* Search Highlighting
* Search Every Page
* Search Every Tag
* Search Every Category
* Search non-password protected pages only
* Search Every Comment
* Search only approved comments
* Search Every Draft
* Search Every Excerpt
* Search Every Attachment (post type)
* Search Every Custom Field (metadata)
* Exclude Posts from search
* Exclude Categories from search

Re: Advanced Search Form

@Jomark:

Thanks for the reply. The plugin you are referring to seems to do a search within almost all the site.

However, it does not provide an organized structure (form with pull down menus) so that the user could EASILY do a search to find what they are looking for. If user is in the real estate category there is no EASY way to do a query to find a property within W region, X city, Y rooms, Z baths, etc. The same for Vehicles (Brand, Model, Year, Milleage); Pets (Breed, Sex, Age); etc ...

Thanks again.

Re: Advanced Search Form

In the advanced search method the keyword: filtering.
But the linked plugin only "search everything" - not familiar...

Re: Advanced Search Form

@ ctrlshift

Agree. "filtering" is the key issue.

Re: Advanced Search Form

Advanced search is always nice, however, I have found it to be useless if the seller isn't including basic information.

The majority of sellers don't use the tags and some are too vague in their descriptions.

As far location goes, that's easy as its a required field and easily included in the basic searches.

So no matter if there is a advanced search or not, it won't help if the basic information isn't filled in.

Re: Advanced Search Form

That's why we need the ability to create/add fields to later be included in ad forms in the form of pull down menus. As a result, the classifieds site will be organized and an advance search form will do the job for most of the users given the fact that when someone submits an ad will have to choose several predetermined pull down menus to better classify the ad.

Maybe an Advance Search Form is not EASILY possible in CP and/or WP.

Re: Advanced Search Form

The sellers ALWAYS including basic informations like:
- title (name of the stuff)
- price
- description
this 3 fields are required on ALL classifieds site ('cause without these meaningless...)

Another keyword for advanced search solution is: fieldset...
(See OxyClassifieds for best practices.)

I'm the fan of Classipress, but the Wordpress search capabilities weak IMHO.