How does the site filter system work within the Enterprise versions?
Several users have asked for a better explanation of the "site" filters contained within the admin. The client side "search filters" should not be confused with them. Below is a better explanation of the site filters to alleviate any discrepancies...it is a long one. Hope it helps and lets people know how powerful tool the site filter tool can be.
Site filters can be a powerful tool to simplify browsing throughout your site. The site filter is used to pre-populate a specific field used within a classified ad (and possibly a registration field) and then use that field to filter out classified ads that do not have the value chosen with the filter.
You begin by attaching creating a hierarchy of filters much the same way you create categories. The main or top level filter values are more general while sub-level filter values get increasingly specific. To illustrate the use of filters better we will use a state and county hierarchy example. The first level of filters will contain the states. The second level will contain the counties in each state (remember this is just to illustrate...that’s a lot of states and counties). Any counties within a state will be contained within that state (added to that state) as if it were a subcategory of another category.
Once you have your hierarchy you then attach each level of the filter organization (state and county in above example) to an optional site wide field using the filter administration tool. For our example we will attach the state level to optional site wide field 1 and the county level to optional site wide field 2. Also turn on the use of optional site wide fields 1 and 2 on a site wide basis within the AD CONFIGURATION > FIELDS TO USE admin tool.
The next step is to attach each filter level to a registration optional field. For our example we will attach the state level to the registration optional field 1 and the counties to registration optional field 2. Also turn on the use of registration optional fields 1 and 2 within the registration configuration screen.
From now on when a user registers they will be asked to choose a state and county as steps within the registration process. The first level choice will appear immediately after the registration code screen (if you choose to use registration codes). The county choice screen will come next with the appropriate county choices that belong to the state chosen in the previous step (all based on the category->subcategory model used within the category administration). We are assuming the user will choose their state and county from the choices...so give explicit instructions to do so within the instructions on the filter choice page. The normal registration form will now appear asking for the usual personal information. Registration optional field 1 will contain the state choice and registration optional field 2 will contain the county choice. An edit link will appear next to each allowing the user to edit the values if they need to.
Once the user completes registration those fields can be edited within their personal information edit screen.
These fields/values within the registration field 1 will now be used to automatically populate the optional site wide field 1 when the user places an ad. The registration optional field 2 value will be used to populate optional site wide field 2 within the place an ad process. This information will be saved along with the ad. Every ad the user enters will automatically have this filter information within it. And if these values are edited within the user information administration section on the client side these values will automatically be updated within all ads attached to that user.
Now insert one of the “filter dropdown display†modules into your browsing pages. Where they are placed will appear dropdown(s) prepopulated with the state and county information. If no state has been chosen (in our example) the state dropdown will contain the states built within the “state†level of the filter administration. Once a state is chosen the second level counties attached to that state will appear in the second dropdown.
Now only ads that fit the filter value chosen will appear while browsing. If you chose a state only ads that have that state value will be displayed. Once a state (or another state) has been chosen the page will refresh and show only ads belonging to that state. Now the second level counties for that state will be in the second dropdown. If you choose a county only ads within that county and state will appear (in our example). Both filters can be changed to display different ads fitting the criteria within the filters or cleared to display all ads.
In conjunction with the category system a user can quickly narrow down the number of ads to browse through to reach the content they are wanting to view.
The filter system can be adapted to any hierarchy. We just used the state-county hierarchy as an easy way to illustrate how the filter system worked.
Site filters can be a powerful tool to simplify browsing throughout your site. The site filter is used to pre-populate a specific field used within a classified ad (and possibly a registration field) and then use that field to filter out classified ads that do not have the value chosen with the filter.
You begin by attaching creating a hierarchy of filters much the same way you create categories. The main or top level filter values are more general while sub-level filter values get increasingly specific. To illustrate the use of filters better we will use a state and county hierarchy example. The first level of filters will contain the states. The second level will contain the counties in each state (remember this is just to illustrate...that’s a lot of states and counties). Any counties within a state will be contained within that state (added to that state) as if it were a subcategory of another category.
Once you have your hierarchy you then attach each level of the filter organization (state and county in above example) to an optional site wide field using the filter administration tool. For our example we will attach the state level to optional site wide field 1 and the county level to optional site wide field 2. Also turn on the use of optional site wide fields 1 and 2 on a site wide basis within the AD CONFIGURATION > FIELDS TO USE admin tool.
The next step is to attach each filter level to a registration optional field. For our example we will attach the state level to the registration optional field 1 and the counties to registration optional field 2. Also turn on the use of registration optional fields 1 and 2 within the registration configuration screen.
From now on when a user registers they will be asked to choose a state and county as steps within the registration process. The first level choice will appear immediately after the registration code screen (if you choose to use registration codes). The county choice screen will come next with the appropriate county choices that belong to the state chosen in the previous step (all based on the category->subcategory model used within the category administration). We are assuming the user will choose their state and county from the choices...so give explicit instructions to do so within the instructions on the filter choice page. The normal registration form will now appear asking for the usual personal information. Registration optional field 1 will contain the state choice and registration optional field 2 will contain the county choice. An edit link will appear next to each allowing the user to edit the values if they need to.
Once the user completes registration those fields can be edited within their personal information edit screen.
These fields/values within the registration field 1 will now be used to automatically populate the optional site wide field 1 when the user places an ad. The registration optional field 2 value will be used to populate optional site wide field 2 within the place an ad process. This information will be saved along with the ad. Every ad the user enters will automatically have this filter information within it. And if these values are edited within the user information administration section on the client side these values will automatically be updated within all ads attached to that user.
Now insert one of the “filter dropdown display†modules into your browsing pages. Where they are placed will appear dropdown(s) prepopulated with the state and county information. If no state has been chosen (in our example) the state dropdown will contain the states built within the “state†level of the filter administration. Once a state is chosen the second level counties attached to that state will appear in the second dropdown.
Now only ads that fit the filter value chosen will appear while browsing. If you chose a state only ads that have that state value will be displayed. Once a state (or another state) has been chosen the page will refresh and show only ads belonging to that state. Now the second level counties for that state will be in the second dropdown. If you choose a county only ads within that county and state will appear (in our example). Both filters can be changed to display different ads fitting the criteria within the filters or cleared to display all ads.
In conjunction with the category system a user can quickly narrow down the number of ads to browse through to reach the content they are wanting to view.
The filter system can be adapted to any hierarchy. We just used the state-county hierarchy as an easy way to illustrate how the filter system worked.