RE: Web OPAC: drop down menus for advanced searching

["Pottinger, Hardy J." <PottingerHJ@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Karen. We're not using this form design at MOBIUS, however, we have some
JavaScript code that we developed for one of our WebPACs that would probably
help. First a little explanation of what's happening on the III form:

The search term boxes on the III form are not being generated by tokens. The
lower half of the form (starting with the Language pre-limit) *is* being
generated by tokens. If you click 'Modify Search', these token-generated
boxes will retain their previous entries. The search term boxes, being
ordinary form fields, will not.

Tokens allow the III server to maintain previous entries. Without them, this
functionality cannot be accomplished by the server. However, you *can* get
the same functionality using JavaScript. You will then be relying on the
client, not the server, to provide this functionality. (Of course, you'll
have to be comfortable with relying on JavaScript to do this for you).

Please feel free to borrow the JavaScript code on this page:
http://bridges.missouri.edu/search/X

It's all pretty well commented. The section you'll want to start at is the
GET Parsing Module (from Webmonkey), and the 'MOBIUS: auto fill form fields
with data provided in a URL request' section, which is immediately below
that.

I haven't looked at this code in a while, but I seem to remember that it
works well in combination with tokens. You should be able to plug it in to
the III form, and whatever isn't filled by a token will be filled in with
this code.

Hope that helps. If you run into problems, just send me a note. I can't
promise a quick response, but I'll do my best.

----------------------------------------
HARDY POTTINGER
I-Net Administrator
MOBIUS Consortium
573-884-4502 / FAX 573-884-3395
http://mobius.missouri.edu
pottingerhj@xxxxxxxxxx
...worth reading...
  http://www.noblenet.org/swapshop/
  http://www.bookmarklets.com/
----------------------------------------  

> -----Original Message-----
> Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2001 14:14:32 -0400
> From: "G. Karen Merguerian" <gmerguer@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Web OPAC: drop down menus for advanced searching
> 
> The Northeastern University Libraries are migrating to the iii
> millennium system, and on our web opac we would like to use 
> an advanced
> word search screen similar to the one at the iii web site sample
> catalog, which is at:
> 
> http://www.iii.com:81/search/X
> 
> We like the option to use drop-down menus for the field limits and the
> boolean operators.  Our users won't have to know the command 
> language in
> order to have this powerful functionality.  III told us we 
> could use the
> code on the sample page above, but we should consult the 
> listserv if it
> didn't work properly.  And so ....
> 
> Specifically, we notice that after doing a search on this screen and
> clicking the "modify search" button on the results page,  the user is
> taken back to the original BLANK search screen, and has to retype the
> entire search.  This happens on our server as well as on the iii web
> site above.
> 
> Is anyone using the code on this page, or something like it?  How have
> you fixed the "modify search" option?  If you are  willing to 
> share your
> solution, please contact me.
> -- 
> G. Karen Merguerian
> 
> Address: SL 270, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
> Email: g.merguerian@xxxxxxxxxx
> Telephone: (617) 373-2747
> Fax: (617) 373-5409