Speed Configuration Guide for Multi-field/Geo filtering Plugin

[Mike]

Multi-Field Plugin + Geo Filtering Option

The Plugin allows you to build relationships among relevant fields, where every subsequent field represents a subcategory(s) of a category selected from a previous field, for example you can build relationships among such fields as Country, Region and City. So when a user selects a country, the region field will return all regions specific to a selected country, and when a user selects a region, he will get all cities specific to a selected region.

Note: Actually a number of fields that can be associated with each other is unlimited.

The Plugin also features geo filtering option, which enables building geo filters for all categories on your site - that is, users will be able to filter listings in categories based on a selected location, for example you can build a list of locations in the sidebar and when a user clicks a particular location the Plugin will filter all listings in categories based on a selected location.

Note: Multi-selection of interconnected fields can be configured both for listing and for registration fields.

To build relationships among a few fields you are supposed to:

1. Go to AP > Plugins > Multi-field > Add an Entry. The page will offer you two options: create a new data entry or as an addition to an existing data entry (See below how to set up geo filtering), for example relationships Country > Region > City, can be built in two ways: 1. you can add a data entry called Country, and then enter countries you need or 2. you can start adding Regions to already existing data entry - Country, which has all needed countries. It should be noted that a new data entry will be added to the Data Entries Section. Basically multi-field is an option that is applied to a data entry, and which provides for building multi-leveled entries. Standard data entries that can be added from the Data Entries Section do not offer a multi-field option.


2. After adding a data entry with the multi-field option you are supposed to link it to a particular field. To link a field to a particular data entry go to AP > Listings > Listing fields > Add/Edit field > Field Type: dropdown > Select an appropriate data entry from the list to bind it with the field. In our case we bind the country field with Country data entry.

Note: Only dropdowns can be linked to data entries offering a multi-field option.
Note: If you added a data entry as an addition to an existing data entry, fields that were linked to such data entry will inherit new field relationships automatically.


3. After binding a field with a data entry go to AP > Plugins > Multi-field > Select a data entry to manage > Click on Manage icon > Add an item.

Note: To add countries, for example USA, Germany, and Italy to Country data entry (as data items of the 1st level) you will need to use Manage function. If you already have countries under existing data entry (USA, Germany etc) then you will be able to add Regions to appropriate countries (as items of the 2nd level), for example add Carolina, Minnesota, Texas etc to USA.
After adding a second level item (Regions) to a data entry the system will add a second dropdown field to the user interface with newly entered data items (Regions). You will be able to edit the new field from AP > Listings > Listing fields, for example to change its name, which is called, in this particular case, Country level 2.


4. To add cities you will need to use Manage function for every region as described in 3. Using this function you can further deepen your levels.
Geo Filtering
To enable geo filtering option go to AP > Plugins > Multi-field > Select a data entry that has location data > Click the Edit icon > Enable Geo Filtering > Click the Edit button.
After activating the option the system will display a set of interconnected location-related fields offering filtering by a particular location.
After filtering by a location the system will add a path of a selected location to site urls. So all listings and category counts on the site will be associated with a selected location.

Note: This option is enabled for all pages that offer listings and categories, and is disabled by default for pages that offer static data. You can enable geo filtering for a particular page from AP > Content > Pages > Select a page > Click the Edit icon > Enable Geo Filtering.

Note: If you don't see newly added regions and cities in the user interface then go to AP > Common > Refresh > Rebuild multifield.