Title: Adding Search Form
Last modified: August 7, 2024

---

# Adding Search Form

 *  Resolved [phil2030](https://wordpress.org/support/users/phil2030/)
 * (@phil2030)
 * [1 year, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-search-form/)
 * I’m aiming to present a view of PDF research papers, displaying the icons and
   you can click and view the papers (see “Research Publications” tab on home page
   of [http://www.ukrise.org](http://www.ukrise.org) – not the Publications link
   on the top menu which I’m aiming to replace since it’s quite a manual process).
   I’ve got the basics for this done, but now want to add a search function so that
   the view of papers can be filtered.
 * Here is my MLA code that populates the tabbed view.
 *     ```wp-block-code
       [mla_gallery s="{+template:({+request:search-string+})+}" post_mime_type=application/pdf post_parent=all link=file columns=5 mla_markup=ul mla_target=”_blank” orderby=title order=asc attachment_tag=pubs posts_per_page=10 mla_rollover_text='{+title+}' mla_page_parameter='academic'][mla_gallery post_mime_type=application/pdf post_parent=all columns=5 mla_markup=ul attachment_tag=pubs posts_per_page=10 mla_output="paginate_links,prev_next" mla_link_href='{+site_url+}/?page_id=#tab-174582' mla_page_parameter='academic'][code_snippet id=7]
       ```
   
 * The [code_snippet id=7] calls the form code, since the WP Tabs Pro plugin I’m
   using for the tabs feature limits what you can insert directly.
 *     ```wp-block-code
       <form id="mla-search-form" action="." method="post"><input id="mla-search-box" name="search-string" type="text" value="" />&nbsp;<input id="submit" name="submit" type="submit" value="Search" /></form>
       ```
   
 * I use the page_id and mla_page_parameter to get the page to re-load the same 
   tab view when clicking on a navigation link.
 * I want to improve the search result to do the following;
    1. When I click the search button, it also adds the page_id and mla_page_parameter
       so that the page reloads like when clicking on the paginated links.
    2. When the search page returns, the applied search term is shown in search input
       field, highlighting the filter used.
 * Hoping these are things that can be added with some simple modifications to the
   above code? Your help would be appreciated.
    -  This topic was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by [phil2030](https://wordpress.org/support/users/phil2030/).

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [1 year, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-search-form/#post-17945252)
 * Thanks for your question and for your patience in awaiting my response. Thanks
   as well for posting the complete text of your shortcodes and HTML form, with 
   a link to your site; very helpful.
 * I was able to modify your shortcodes and form to get the results you seek, adding
   one of MLA’s Example Plugins to make the search text “sticky”. First, some comments
   on your current shortcodes and form.
 * You wrote “**_I use the page\_id and mla\_page\_parameter to get the page to 
   re-load the same tab view when clicking on a navigation link._**” The `#tab-174582`
   value is an HTML “anchor link”, which is appended to a hyperlink to navigate 
   to a specific part of the page. The `page_id=` is not needed nor used. You can
   see this if you look at the pagination links you have now, e.g. `https://www.
   ukrise.org/?page_id=&academic=2#tab-174582`. You can see that the anchor has 
   been moved to the end of the link and the page_id argument is empty.
 * In your current shortcodes, the pagination controls generated by the second `[
   mla_gallery]` shortcode do not reflect the keyword search filter. The data selection
   parameters of both shortcodes must be identical, i.e., you must add `s="{+template:({
   +request:search-string+})+}"` to the current pagination shortcode.
 * Moving on to your two desired improvements, the first improvement can be accomplished
   by a slight modification to the HTML form. Simply change the `action="."` attribute
   to `action=".#tab-174582"`. The `mla_page_parameter` is not needed in the form,
   only in the shortcodes. When you add or change the search text the pagination
   values will change and the gallery display should start at the first page of 
   the new results.
 * Your second improvement, making the search text “sticky”, requires the addition
   of an MLA Example Plugin. To install the example plugin, navigate to the Settings/
   Media library Assistant Documentation tab and click the “Example Plugins” button.
   Type “user” in the text box and click “Search Plugins” to filter the table.
 * You are looking for the “MLA UI Elements Example” plugin. Find that plugin and
   hover over the title in the left-most column. Click the “Install” rollover action,
   then go to the WordPress Plugins/Installed Plugins submenu and activate the example
   plugin as you would any other plugin. Once the example plugin is active you can
   modify your shortcodes and form to implement the second improvement. You can 
   find more information about the UI elements in the Settings/MLA UI Elements Documentation
   tab.
 * Here, then, are the shortcodes and form that should give you the results you 
   seek. I have made some remarks about the changes below them.
 *     ```wp-block-code
       [mla_gallery add_filters_to="any" post_mime_type=application/pdf post_parent=all attachment_tag=pubs posts_per_page=10 link=file columns=5 mla_markup=ul mla_target=”_blank” orderby=title order=asc mla_rollover_text='{+title+}' mla_page_parameter='academic'][mla_gallery add_filters_to="any" post_mime_type=application/pdf post_parent=all attachment_tag=pubs posts_per_page=10 mla_output="paginate_links,prev_next" mla_link_href='{+page_url+}/{+query_string+}#tab-174582' mla_page_parameter='academic']<form id="mla-search-form" action=".#tab-174582" method="post">[muie_keyword_search]&nbsp;<input id="submit" name="submit" type="submit" value="Search" /></form>
       ```
   
 * In the form, I have modified the `action=".#tab-174582"` argument as discussed
   above. I have also replaced the search text input text box with the `[muie_keyword_search]`
   shortcode that generates a “Sticky” text box and passes the search text on to
   the two `[mla_gallery]` shortcodes.
 * In both shortcodes I have replaced the `s="{+template:({+request:search-string
   +})+}"` parameter with `add_filters_to="any"`. This signals the example plugin
   to add the search text from the `[muie_keyword_search]` shortcode to the gallery
   and pagination filters.
 * Finally, in the pagination shortcode I have modified the `mla_link_href` parameter.
   The `{+page_url+}` parameter is like your `{+site_url+}` parameter but will work
   for any page in the site. The `{+query_string+}` parameter adds the search text
   value to the pagination links so the filter is maintained when moving to a new
   gallery “page”. The `#tab-174582` value at the end of the link ensures that the
   proper tab is active when the page refreshes. I have also removed some parameters
   not used in pagination controls (columns and mla_markup).
 * I hope that works for your application. I am marking this topic resolved, but
   please update it if you have any problems or further questions regarding the 
   above suggestions. Thanks for an interesting question and for your interest in
   the plugin.
 *  Thread Starter [phil2030](https://wordpress.org/support/users/phil2030/)
 * (@phil2030)
 * [1 year, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-search-form/#post-17949716)
 * Thanks for taking the time to look at this and providing the code improvements.
   I’ve installed/enabled the referenced plugin and replaced the short codes and
   form content.
 * Initially the search entry field was not showing, rather it was interpreted as
   just a text string “[muie_keyword_search]” but then I spotted there were options
   in the snippet to enable the interpreting of shortcodes, so I amended the code
   snippet call to `[code_snippet id=7 shortcodes]` and it now shows up properly.
 * I do have one remaining issue with the pagination links not re-loading with the
   correct tab view. I’ve set the updates on the live site so you can have a look.
   If you go to [https://www.ukrise.org/#tab-174582](https://www.ukrise.org/#tab-174582)
   and then click on a paginated link, it comes back showing the first tab, rather
   than #tab-174582 view?
    -  This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by [phil2030](https://wordpress.org/support/users/phil2030/).
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [1 year, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-search-form/#post-17951369)
 * Thanks for updating your application and providing a link to the current results.
   I have identified two problems with the pagination links.
 * First, there is an extra slash in the URL (my fault). You should change your 
   parameter to `mla_link_href='{+page_url+}{+query_string+}#tab-174582'`, removing
   the slash between the URL and the query string.
 * Second, you have encountered a defect in the current MLA version. The ampersand
   between the query arguments has been escaped, i.e., `academic=2#038;muie_per_page
   =10` instead of `academic=2&muie_per_page=10`.
 * I have uploaded a new MLA Development Version dated 20240813 that corrects the
   problem. You can find step-by-step instructions for using the Development Version
   in this earlier topic:
 * [How to download & install the current development version of MLA](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-to-download-install-the-current-development-version-of-mla/)
 * Once the Development Version is installed you can retest the handling of pagination
   links in your application.
 * The fix will be part of my next MLA version, but in the interim it would be great
   if you could install the Development Version and let me know if it works for 
   you. Thanks for alerting me to this MLA defect.
 *  Thread Starter [phil2030](https://wordpress.org/support/users/phil2030/)
 * (@phil2030)
 * [1 year, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-search-form/#post-17952143)
 * I’ve updated the link to remove the extra slash and installed the development
   version of MLA and it all seems to be working as expected now.
 * Thanks for all the help.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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## Tags

 * [search form](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/search-form/)

 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [phil2030](https://wordpress.org/support/users/phil2030/)
 * Last activity: [1 year, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-search-form/#post-17952143)
 * Status: resolved