Custom Core Results Web Part in Grid Format, with Context Menus & Sorting/Filtering
This post is about creating a custom core results web part which will render the search results similar to list view UI i.e. using grid view with pagination, context menus, & column sorting / filtering. Most of the business users demand this kind of UI, as they expect to have a consistent user interface while working with documents. Moreover, it’s much usable when the document actions are available in the search results itself. The user can search for some documents and can do the same set of actions what they can do with the document’s library list view.
Problem
- Search results should enable the user to checkout/check inand perform other related actions for the document
- User’s should be able to sort & filter on the search result columns
- The UI for the search results should be similar to the UI of a document library / list library
Solution
- Custom Core Results Web Part implementing custom rendering format for the search results using the SPGridView, as this control provides the pagination, sorting & filtering feature
Key Considerations/Challenges
- The approach should reuse the OOTB Core Results web part to the max, thus reducing effort in re-inventing the wheel
- Consistent UI should be provided for the user, between the search UI and the other list views in SharePoint
- Most of all the features of OOTB Core Results web part can be reused for this approach, but the rendering of search result must be overridden for rendering the results in grid format with pagination, context menus and sorting/filtering
- The pagination for the SPGridView control is based on the datasource being bound to that. Hence, the OOTB core results web part’s output should be set to the desired size, which is really not possible, as the PageSize property of the OOTB core results web part restricts the maximum size to 50
- he context menus for the search results should be generated by using the same mechanism how SharePoint does it for the document library / list items
Approach
- To implement the custom rendering format in grid, the SPGridView control is used, as it implicitly provides the following features:
- Pagination
- Sorting
- Filtering
- For the SPGridView to have its own pagination, the results being returned from the OOTB Core Results web part should be overridden with the custom value. The number of records being returned by the OOTB core results web part can be overridden by manipulating the SRHO (Search Result Hidden Object) being used by the OOTB core results web part
- The javascript function that is responsible for generating the context menu for list items, expects few set of parameters for each item to determine the items to be generated for the context menus. These set of parameters can be explicitly rendered along with the search results
1) Manipulating the SRHO to return the desired no. of results (using Reflection)
//Get the SRHO from the context
object srhoInContext = System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Items["OSSSRHDC_0"]
//Create a Query instance
Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.Query customQuery = new Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.Query(Microsoft.Office.Server.ServerContext.Current)
//Invoke the methods “SetKeywordQueryProperties” & “SetQueryProperties” to populate the properties for the customQuery object
srhoInContext.GetType().GetMethod
(“SetKeywordQueryProperties”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance
).Invoke(srhoInContext, new object[] { customQuery });
srhoInContext.GetType().GetMethod
(“SetQueryProperties”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic
).Invoke(srhoInContext, new object[] { customQuery });
//Set the desired page size to the custom query object
customQuery.RowLimit = 1000
//Execute the query and obtain results
Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.ResultTableCollection customResults = customQuery.Execute();
//Set the property variables of the SRHO using Reflection
srhoInContext.GetType().GetField(
“m_Result”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance
).SetValue(srhoInContext, customResults);
srhoInContext.GetType().GetField(
“m_totalRows”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance
).SetValue(srhoInContext, relevantResultTable.TotalRows);
srhoInContext.GetType().GetField(
“m_RowCount”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance
).SetValue(srhoInContext, relevantResultTable.RowCount);
srhoInContext.GetType().GetField(
“m_BestBetRowCount”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance
).SetValue(srhoInContext, bestBetResultTable.RowCount);
srhoInContext.GetType().GetField(
“m_HighConfidenceRowCount”,
System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance
).SetValue(srhoInContext, highConfidenceResultTable.RowCount);
//Put the manipulated SRHO object back into context
System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Items["OSSSRHDC_0"] = srhoInContext
//Get the results data table
DataTable tbl = new DataTable();
tbl.Load(customResults[Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.ResultType.RelevantResults],LoadOption.OverwriteChanges);
The above manipulation, just updates only the “m_Result” variable of ResultTableCollection type in SRHO object, which of ResultTableCollection. But, the xmlResponseDoc, representing the results in xml document, is not updated.
2) Using SPGridView for enabling Pagination, Sorting & Filtering
//INITIALIZE THE SPGRIDVIEW WITH THE PROPERTIES ENABLED FOR PAGINATION, SORTING AND FILTERING
SPGridView resultsView = new SPGridView();
// Initialize SPGridView
resultsView = new SPGridView();
// setting the basic properties of SPGridView
resultsView.ID = “<SPGridViewID>”";
resultsView.AutoGenerateColumns = false;
// setting the sorting properties
resultsView.AllowSorting = true;
// setting the paging properties
resultsView.PageSize = <desiredPageSize>;
resultsView.AllowPaging = true;
resultsView.PagerStyle.HorizontalAlign = HorizontalAlign.Right;
// setting the event handlers
resultsView.RowDataBound += new wRowEventHandler(resultsView_RowDataBound);
// setting the filter properties
resultsView.AllowFiltering = true;
resultsView.FilterDataFields = “<list of column names to be filtered>”;
resultsView.FilteredDataSourcePropertyName = “FilterExpression”;
resultsView.FilteredDataSourcePropertyFormat = “{1} LIKE ‘{0}’”;
// INITIALIZE THE DATASOURCE
ObjectDataSource ds = new ObjectDataSource();
ds.TypeName = “<TypeName>,”;
ds.TypeName += System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().FullName;
ds.SelectMethod = “FillDataTable”;
ds.ID = “<ID>”;
// setting the data source for the grid view
resultsView.DataSourceID = ds.ID
// add both the datasource and the grid to the control collection
this.Controls.Add(ds);
this.Controls.Add(resultsView);
// Set the PagerTemplate property to null for enabling the default pagination controls
// this line must be after adding the grid to the control collection
resultsView.PagerTemplate = null;
// Override the OnPreRender & Render method to set the filter expression and perform data //bind
protected override void OnPreRender(EventArgs e)
{
ViewState["FilterExpression"] = ds.FilterExpression;
base.OnPreRender(e);
}
protected override void Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)
{
resultsView.DataBind();
base.Render(writer);
}
// Setting the column headers with filter icon
// include the following code block in the RowDataBound Eventhandler method for
// SPGridView
if ((sender != null) && (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.Header))
{
string strFilteredColumn = ((SPGridView)sender).FilterFieldName;
SetGridViewFilterIcon(resultsView, strFilteredColumn, e.Row);
}
public void SetGridViewFilter(SPGridView gridView, string strFilteredColumn, GridViewRow gridViewRow)
{
if ((string.IsNullOrEmpty(strFilteredColumn) == false) && (gridViewRow != null))
{
// Show icon on filtered column
for (int iIndex = 0; iIndex < gridView.Columns.Count; iIndex++)
{
DataControlField currentField = gridView.Columns[iIndex];
if (currentField.HeaderText.Equals(strFilteredColumn))
{
Image filterIcon = new Image();
filterIcon.ImageUrl = “/_layouts/images/ewr093.gif”;
filterIcon.ImageAlign = ImageAlign.Left;
filterIcon.Style[System.Web.UI.HtmlTextWriterStyle.MarginTop] = “2px”;
filterIcon.ID = “FilterIcon”;
Panel panel = new Panel();
panel.Controls.Add(filterIcon);
gridViewRow.Cells[iIndex].Controls.Add(panel);
break;
}
}
}
}
3) Populating the context menus for search result items, using the OOTB javascript function which automatically picks up the required attributes and generates the context menus
Reference Table for the hidden attributes being used in this custom search results webpart, for enabling the javascript to populate the context mneus for search results. The attributes needs to be passed in two places
1. ContextInfo object attributes
2. Input type attributes
Attribute Name |
Description |
Value Type |
| listBaseType | The base type id for the item list | Numeric value |
| listTemplate | The list template id for the list | Numeric value |
| listName | The list name in GUID format | GUID |
| view | The list’s view ID | GUID |
| listUrlDir | Relative URL for the list | string |
| HttpPath | Docsf_vti_binfowssvr.dll?65001 | string |
| HttpRoot | Fully qualified URL for the site | string |
| imagesPath | Relative URL for the images | string |
| PortalUrl | ||
| SendToLocationName | ||
| SendToLocationUrl | ||
| RecycleBinEnabled | ||
| OfficialFileName | ||
| WriteSecurity | ||
| SiteTitle | Title of the site | string |
| ListTitle | Title of the list | string |
| displayFormUrl | Server relative Url for the display form. | string |
| editFormUrl | Server relative Url for the edit form. | string |
| ctxId | The Id for the context object | string |
| g_ViewIdToViewCounterMap[x] | x – replace it with list view GUID | string |
| CurrentUserId | Numeric notation for current user | Numeric |
| isForceCheckout | Is force checkout enabled | true/false |
| EnableMinorVersions | Is minor versions enabled | true/false |
| verEnabled | Is versioning enabled | 0 – true / 1 – false |
| WorkflowAssociated | Is workflow associated | true/false |
| ContentTypeEnabled | Is content type enabled | true/false |
| ctx<id>=ctx | Above properties are associated to the contextinfo object ctx & assign it to the ctx<id> – id replace with 1, if only one context object in place, else replace <id> with appropriate number |
|
INPUT TYPE ATTRIBUTES |
||
|
Attribute Name |
Description |
Value Type |
| CTXName | Name of the attribute specifies the context info object reference, with the above-mentioned properties set. | ContextInfo object |
| id | Id of the item in it’s list | Numeric |
| url | Relative Url of the item | Url as string |
| dref | Item’s file directory reference | Url as string |
| perm | Permission Mask of the list item | Octal as string |
| type | Type of the item | string |
| ext | Item’s file extension | string |
| icon | <icon>|<client app. ProgID>|<action name> | |
| <icon> – icon name | string | |
| <client app. ProgID> – ProgID of the item’s associated application | string | |
| <action name> – Action to be done | string | |
| otype | Object Type | string |
| couid | Checked out user’s numeric id | Numeric |
| sred | Server redirect Url | Url as string |
| cout | Checked Out Status | Numeric |
| hcd | Controls if a menu item to navigate to the “/_layouts/updatecopies.aspx” will be added. I am guessing this has to do with records management (update copies of the document when it was changed). | |
| csrc | Copy source link | string |
| ms | Moderation Status | Numeric |
| ctype | Content Type name | string |
| cid | Content Type Id | Octal as string |
| uis | UI version Id | Numeric as string |
| surl | Source Url | Url as string |
// FORMAT FOR THE CONTEXT INFO ATTRIBUTES SCRIPT
<SCRIPT>
ctx = new ContextInfo();
ctx.listBaseType = <listBaseTypeID>;
ctx.listTemplate = <ListTempateID>;
ctx.listName = “{<GUID of List>}”;
ctx.view = “{GUID of List Default View}”;
ctx.listUrlDir = “<list url>”;
ctx.HttpPath = “u002f<site>u002f_vti_binu002fowssvr.dll?CS=65001″;
ctx.HttpRoot = “http:u002fu002f<SERVER>:<PORT>u002f<SITE>”;
ctx.imagesPath = “u002f_layoutsu002fimagesu002f”;
ctx.PortalUrl = “”;
ctx.SendToLocationName = “”;
ctx.SendToLocationUrl = “”;
ctx.RecycleBinEnabled = -1;
ctx.OfficialFileName = “”;
ctx.WriteSecurity = “1″;
ctx.SiteTitle = “<SITE TITLE>”;
ctx.ListTitle = “<LIST TITLE>”;
if (ctx.PortalUrl == “”) ctx.PortalUrl = null;
ctx.displayFormUrl = “<URL OF DISPLAY FORM>”;
ctx.editFormUrl = “<URL OF EDIT FORM>”;
ctx.isWebEditorPreview = 0;
ctx.ctxId = 1;
g_ViewIdToViewCounterMap[ "{<GUID of List's default view>}" ]= 1;
ctx.CurrentUserId = <CURRENT USER ID (numeric)>;
ctx.isForceCheckout = <true/false>;
ctx.EnableMinorVersions = <true/false>;
ctx.verEnabled = 1;
ctx.WorkflowsAssociated = <true/false>;
ctx.ContentTypesEnabled = <true/false>;
ctx1 = ctx;
</SCRIPT>
// FORMAT FOR THE INPUT TYPE ATTRIBUTES
<table height=”100%” cellspacing=0 class=”ms-unselectedtitle” onmouseover=”OnItem(this)”
CTXName=”ctx1″
Id=”<ID of the item in it’s list>”
Url=”<Relative Url of the item>”
DRef=”<File Directory Reference>”
Perm=”<Permission Mask>”
Type=”"
Ext=”<file extension>”
Icon=”<ImageIcon filename>|<ProgID of client application>|<action>”
OType=”<FileSystemObjectTypeID>”
COUId=”<CheckedOutUserID>”
SRed=”"
COut=”<IsCheckedOut><0/1>”
HCD=”"
CSrc=”"
MS=”<ModerationStatus>”
CType=”<ContentType>”
CId=”<ContentTypeID>”
UIS=”<UI String for version>”
SUrl=”">
<tr>
<td width=”100%” Class=”ms-vb”>
<A onfocus=”OnLink(this)”
HREF=”<itemURL>”
onclick=”return DispEx(this,event,’TRUE’,'FALSE’,'TRUE’,'SharePoint.OpenDocuments.3′,
’0′,’SharePoint.OpenDocuments’,”,”,”,’1073741823′,’1′,’0′,’0x7fffffffffffffff’)”>
The above code implemented still have some nitty bitty issues, which I’m still working on. I thought I’d just give a headsup on the overall approach, so that it will help someone firefighting the same kind of issue.
Screenshots
1. Custom Core Results Web Part
2. Custom Core Results Web Part – with Filter Menu
3. Custom Core Results Web Part – with Context Menu