change the number of columns in advanced Search

[jad1983]

Hi there,

There must be an easy way to change the overall width of the advanced search page? I think I'd prefer having just two columns with search fields. I find the 3-column standard layout a bit bloated and hard to navigate.

How can this be done? i couldn't find anything in the admin section nor config.php. So some little custom directory tweak perhaps? (I'm a newbie, as you may notice).

thanks for your help.
John

[sts]

You could have a look into modules/<modulename>/metadata/searchdefs.php. There is a definition like

 $searchdefs['Contacts'] = array(
            'templateMeta' => array('maxColumns' => '3', 
                            'widths' => array('label' => '10', 'field' => '30'), 
                           ), 
  

You could try to modify the "maxColumns" value.

[jad1983]

Thanks. I might give this a shot, but I'm not sure I'll understand how to make this update-safe. I don't want to just go in there and CHANGE it :-)

Any suggestions highly welcome.

[rafael.q.g@hotmail.com]

To make it upgrade safe just do the samething but on file:
custom/modules/<modulename>/metadata/searchdefs.php

[jad1983]

Hi Raf,

This I know, but what exactly, i.e. how much code I must add to this file I don't know. Do I have to copy the whole file "searchdefs" and make changes? oder can I make a small extension-version of "searchdefs" in the custom folder and only add the code that's necessary to override the column setting?

That's what I don't understand, but I hop you do understand what the h** I'm talking about

:-)

John

[jad1983]

Hi,

There already was a searchdefs.php file in the custom/modules/Contacts/metadata folder. So I changed it there and that worked. Thanks for your help.

Next question would be how to change the width of the search field boxes. In the searchdefs file there are some settings for width. I tried changing them (the percentage indications) to no effect.

Also at the bottom, where it reads:

  'templateMeta' => 
  array (
    'maxColumns' => '2',
    'widths' => 
    array (
      'label' => '10',
      'field' => '30',
    ),

I tried changing the values for label and field, to no effect.

Any ideas?

John