Filtration methods

• Methods of filtration
• Returns

mFilter2 can filter information from any tables, you will just have to describe how it can be received.

For you to do it there is a possibility to extend the filtration class, which is situated in /core/components/msearch2/model/msearch2/filters.class.php, with help of system setting mse2_filters_handler_class.

To extend the standard class you will have to create a new file in directory /core/components/msearch2/custom/filters/ with name имя.class.php and inherit mse2FiltersHandler.

<?php
class myCustomFilter extends mse2FiltersHandler {

    // Here you can redefine methods of the parent class or create your own ones 
}

Methods of filtration

There are 3 types of methods:

1. Getting information for filtration - methods getИмяValues.
2. Making filters for output - methods buildИмяFilter.
3. Filtration by parameter - methods filterИмя.

These methods process values written in parameter &filters. For example:

&filters=`
    resource|parent:categories,
    resource|template:default,
    ms|price:number,
    tv|myname:default,
    msoption|size:default
`

The first word is code word for the selection of data from tables. If it is resource, getResourceValues will be summoned, if it is ms, then getMsValues will be summoned, etc.

The second word is the field being selected. You can incidate more than one field for one table if they all are in it.

The third word is the name of the method that you are applying to filter construction and filtration itself. If it is default, then DefaultFilter and filterDefault will be summoned, if it is number, then buildNumberFilter and filterNumber will be summoned, etc.

This means that we will have standard methods of class filtration

You can redefine any of these methods or create your own one.

Returns

The first type of methods should return the following array of values:

Array (
    [FieldName 1] => array(
        [Value1] => array(
            [0] => id of a suitable resource
            [1] => id of a suitable resource
            [2] => id of a suitable resource
        ),
    ),
)

For example, we summon

&filters=`resource|parent:parents,resource|template:default`

and method getResourceValues returns approximately the following array:

Array (
    [parent] => array(
        [0] => array(
            [0] => 1
            [1] => 2
        )
        [2] => array(
            [0] => 5
        )
    )
    [template] => array(
        [1] => array(
            [0] => 1
            [1] => 2
            [2] => 3
        ),
    )
)

The second type of methods returns an array for filter output for the user. It looks like this:

Array (
    [FilterName] => Array (
        [title] => FilterName
        [value] => value of filter position 
        [type] => extra field for filter type 
        [resources] => Array (
            [0] => id of a suitable resource
            [1] => id of a suitable resource
            [2] => id of a suitable resource
        )
    )
)

For example, we summon

&filters=`resource|parent:categories`

and method getResourceValues returns an array that looks approximately like this:

Array (
    [Tickets] => Array (
        [title] => Tickets
        [value] => 71
        [type] => parents
        [resources] => Array (
            [0] => 72
            [1] => 73
            [2] => 74
        )
    )
    [mSearch2] => Array (
        [title] => mSearch2
        [value] => 62
        [type] => parents
        [resources] => Array (
            [0] => 63
            [1] => 64
        )
    )
)

As for the third type of methods, it should take 3 arrays:

• Array with inquired values
• Array of existing values, in which filter names are keys and suitable resources are values
• Current array of results

For example, if we filter by parent, in the first array we will get ids of parents inquired:

Array (
    [0] => 71
)

In the second one we will get existing parents with their resources:

Array (
    [71] => Array (
        [0] => 72
        [1] => 73
        [2] => 74
    )
)

And in the third one we will get ids of resources thatare still going through filtration and have not been excluded by other filters:

Array (
    [0] => 72
    [1] => 73
    [2] => 74
    [3] => 75
    [4] => 76
)

We should compare the first array to keys from the second array and values from the third one and then return array of resources that have passed the test. This array will either hit another filter (if there is one) or be given to mFilter2 for output of filtrated resources.

This means that the user will see only those results that have passed all filters.