PnP Search - Notes

Overview: I have spent a considerable amount of time figuring out how to use the PnP Search Web parts again.  I do this every few years, as I forget.  This post outlines how to set up filters for the PnP search using my own columns.

Four items to get Filtering working

Tip: Filterable Managed Properties must have a "refinable" search property.  You can't create these in SPO, so use the OOTB Refinable Managed Properties setup for this purpose.

Step 1. Upload content such as docx and pdfs, and add custom metadata.  I added two documents, and there is a text column for Technology

Step 2. Ensure content is being crawled and available thru Managed properties

You need to be a Site Collection Admin > Go to Site Settings for the Site Collection

Navigate to Search > Manage Search Schema > Find an existing "Refinable.." Managed Property and use it to point to the new Crawled Property.

Tip: Force a crawl on the list, and it will take an hour or two, as the trigger is fired periodically. Depending on the size of the crawl, it will take some time.  If it's not showing up after 3-4 hours, you are definitely doing something wrong.

Step 3.

Add Selected properties (this is the Managed Property name or Alias) - paste and move out of input box - weird.

Customise the Layout Slots with the Layout Slot name.

Step 4. Add the PnPSearch Filter Web Part to the page containing the PnP results web part page

Add the Search Filter PnP web part to the search page.

Go to the PnPSearch Results web part properties, and set the "Connect to a filters Web Part" to Enabled and set the Filter web part.

Go back to the PnPSearch Filter web part, select "Configure" and on the Use data from these Web Parts  set to the PnPSearch Results web part.

"Edit" the filters.

SharePoint Designer Filter using Contains Operator

Problem:  I converted a List View web part that shows a document library into a Data View Web Part.  I tried to add a filter based on a query string.  The query string is only part of the field so I need to use a contains statement.

Resolution: The "Contains" operator is missing, by switching into code view I can use the contains operator in my xslt as shown below.

Data view xslt Tip: Retrieve a column named Kno and intermingle with xHtml

XLVWP - Filtering the xslt List View Web Part Series

Overview: Xslt List View (XLV) Web Part is widely used in SP 2010. This series of posts shows how to use this Web Part. Various connected web parts can be used to filter the XLVWP such as a List Filter Web Part.

Filtering: The filtering web parts provides a good way to filter data in the XLVWP. Using Connected Web Parts it is easy to filter the data you wish to retrieve. Below is the setup of 2 List View Web parts that are used to filter depending on the selected data.


Presentation: SPD 2010 provides a good tool for customising the presentation of the XLV WP. Additionally you can uncouple the default shared XSLT and provide your own customised xslt.

Also see:XSLT List View Web Part (XLV):

Filter web parts are missing

I couldn't find the "filter web parts" on my SP 2010 installation, they are there just add them to the web part gallery.
In the RTM the filter WP are available by default and didn't need to be added.

A list of OOTB Web Parts

How Filter WP work from the MS site. Writen for MOSS but still applies to SP2010.

1. Connect a filter Web Part to a List View Web Part to display a subset of data.
2. The filter Web Part provides a value.
3. The filter value is passed to a column in the List View Web Part by using a Web Part connection.
4. The List View Web Part displays only those columns that match the filter value