Custom Search Value Limit

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   Hi

Don't think this has been discussed before and not even sure if EI realize, but there is an actual limit to the amount of custom search fields you can have. Its 90, (If you delete 1-9) (or 9 if you dont) once you go over 100, (to 109) it starts taking the field as value 10. then 110 to 119 as 11 and so on.

So it looks like a limitation that it looks for the  search field  (from beginning of the pcSearchFields table, idSearchData), if it finds a match in the first 1 or 2 numbers it displays those items, and doesn't actually use the exact number in the search field.

For example if you have a idSearchdata 1, and items populated in 11,12,14 etc, it uses then all.

If idSearchData  doesnt have any 1-9 (like ours)entries,  then the problem happens when you go over 99. 

Hope that makes sense.

So the next question is this statement from EI about the feature of Custom Search fields.

"The store manager can now create an unlimited number of Custom Search Fields (previously limited to 3 per product, now unlimited), associate them with products and categories,"

and this comment from PC specs

"Create an unlimited number of Custom Search Fields (e.g. "Screen Size") and Values (e.g. "19", "20", "21", etc.)"

So would that mean, this is something EI need to fix in future updates as its a feature sold as Unlimited but really, its not.

PS The problem isn't evident in the PC demo stores, as Demo Gallery doesn't go above 9, and Demo Clothing store the values above 9 are hidden from the storefront. (If this can be turned on, you'll see what im talking about)   

Edited by RobertZ - 11-July-2010 at 8:16pm

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
RobertZ Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 21-January-2007 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote RobertZ Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Custom Search Value Limit Posted: 11-July-2010 at 6:33pm
	Hi Don't think this has been discussed before and not even sure if EI realize, but there is an actual limit to the amount of custom search fields you can have. Its 90, (If you delete 1-9) (or 9 if you dont) once you go over 100, (to 109) it starts taking the field as value 10. then 110 to 119 as 11 and so on. So it looks like a limitation that it looks for the search field (from beginning of the pcSearchFields table, idSearchData), if it finds a match in the first 1 or 2 numbers it displays those items, and doesn't actually use the exact number in the search field. For example if you have a idSearchdata 1, and items populated in 11,12,14 etc, it uses then all. If idSearchData doesnt have any 1-9 (like ours)entries, then the problem happens when you go over 99. Hope that makes sense. So the next question is this statement from EI about the feature of Custom Search fields. "The store manager can now create an unlimited number of Custom Search Fields (previously limited to 3 per product, now unlimited), associate them with products and categories," and this comment from PC specs "Create an unlimited number of Custom Search Fields (e.g. "Screen Size") and Values (e.g. "19", "20", "21", etc.)" So would that mean, this is something EI need to fix in future updates as its a feature sold as Unlimited but really, its not. PS The problem isn't evident in the PC demo stores, as Demo Gallery doesn't go above 9, and Demo Clothing store the values above 9 are hidden from the storefront. (If this can be turned on, you'll see what im talking about) Edited by RobertZ - 11-July-2010 at 8:16pm

ProductCart Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group ProductCart Team Joined: 01-October-2003 Status: Offline Points: 135	Post Options Post Reply Quote ProductCart Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11-July-2010 at 9:09pm
	It looks like a programming mistake. Thanks for posting this. We will discuss it with the development team and certainly update our documentation if there is a limit. There was no intention of misleading anybody This is also the first time this has been brought to our attention (probably because no one that set up that many Custom Search Fields). Thanks for your feedback.
	The ProductCart Team Home of ProductCart shopping cart software

RobertZ Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 21-January-2007 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote RobertZ Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11-July-2010 at 9:29pm
	Hi Again, Thanks for that. I'm not a programming guru, but it shouldn't be a hard fix. To me, all its doing is picking out the first value, say 1, then looping around rest of the values that start with 1 (ie 10,11,12 etc) in the table, rather than just picking 1 and stopping. The other side of this is because the column is autonumber, and if a person deletes anything in the 1-9 area, then the corresponding amounts when there is 2 digits will work OK. (eg if I delete 3, then all numbers 31,32,33 etc work fine. So it might also be a case that most people have deleted some of the first ones, and haven't seen an issue. Its only when you get to 99, it shows up. Besides that, another workaround we came up with is actually starting at 100. That way, it will get us 900 search fields (to 999) before having the issue again.. (Hopefully we will never get there, but we thought getting to 100 was a long way away) Anyway, thanks for that. Would rather a fix rather than a documentation edit.