Hi Ray,

It would depend on how you plan to do the search. If you are going to use the dedicated advanced search page for searching, most custom fields can be used. If it's the custom field search module, only certain custom field types are supported.

Thanks for reply,

Ideally a field that will work with both 'advanced search page' or 'module'. Ideally it needs to be a field you can enter multiple tags and that they can be individually searched, like the joomla tag system.

Thanks!

For 'module', are you referring to the custom field search module? If you plan to use that module, the only field the module supports that allow multiple selection is the checkbox field.

If you plan to use the advanced search page only, then you have more choices regarding multiple choice fields.

You wrote,

For 'module', are you referring to the custom field search module?
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YES
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So If I understand correctly, what you are suggesting is kind of a work-around by using custom field checkbox to enter in keywords/tags so that they are searchable?
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Me

I will then create an easy social menu in the right column. I will use easy social search menu item and set the preset filters to each item to display a list of business types per locality. So I will create 12 menus, each one having I Hundred business categories and subcategories (using sub-menus). Does that makes sense to you?

THanks

So If I understand correctly, what you are suggesting is kind of a work-around by using custom field checkbox to enter in keywords/tags so that they are searchable?

Yes. I suggested the checkbox type custom field because it is searchable inside the custom field search module(textbox field is not supported in the custom field search module).

I will then create an easy social menu in the right column. I will use easy social search menu item and set the preset filters to each item to display a list of business types per locality. So I will create 12 menus, each one having I Hundred business categories and subcategories (using sub-menus). Does that makes sense to you?

Do you mean you will create 12 menu items only? If you are able to set your desired filters for each, then that's fine.

By the way, I would suggest trying out the set up with 1 locality, 1 business category and subcategory plus the custom field so you are able to get a feel on how it works.

Thanks for your reply!

you wrote;
Do you mean you will create 12 menu items only? If you are able to set your desired filters for each, then that's fine.
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No I will create 12 menus, one for each town, (and corresponding module to display it) with 100 business categories (menu items).

I was thinking of maybe just displaying the Saved Searched but If have 12 towns, I beleive it is not possible to seperate saved serches from the different towns by like groups of saved searches. Otherwiss that could have worked also.

I await your response, thanks!

I was thinking of maybe just displaying the Saved Searched but If have 12 towns, I beleive it is not possible to seperate saved serches from the different towns by like groups of saved searches

Hm, can you provide us some real examples with specific custom fields on what you are trying to separate in the search? This is so we can see whether there is a way for you to separate/differentiate the saved searches.
eg:
Town A, F&B category, business1, year_founded field
Town B, F&B category, business2, year__founded field