Filter options in left sidebar as drop down?

[saucysal]

I have been busy setting up filtering, and have most things sorted. However, in my Brands section, which is populated by filters, I have a very long list of Brands, which list in the left side bar with checkboxes alongside each. I think it would be better to have the Brands as a drop-down selection list, so that the list does not go down to the floor. I have tried all the layouts for this, both at Section level and at Site Options level, but none make any difference to the layout. What am I doing wrong? I am using Freshman theme. The default layout with the theme is Checkbox Filter Section List, but, as I say, all the other layouts produce the same checkbox list.

Sarah

[peblaco]

Go to Search and Filtering Settings on Filtering change the HTML Representation to Drop Down List.

[saucysal]

Thanks, but another problem

Thank you Louise. The drop-down list works fine. However. I have upload a test site to see if the filters are working, but they are not finding any products. Does it only work on a live site?

Sarah

[peblaco]

Do you mean test mode?

[saucysal]

Now live

I was anxious to get my new site live early on Sunday morning when there are not a lot of people on, so I have uploaded it with the Brands section hidden. I have since being trying every possibility, uploading it to the live site, quickly checking it (after Refresh), and then re-uploading with the Brands section hidden while I try something else. I can get two results, neither of which is correct, though perming the best of each would make a correction result. I can either get a checkbox list of all the Departments in the shop (could do without), plus the drop-down selections for Select Brand and for Select Type, populated with all the options to choose from, but no products found; or I can get a nice looking drop-down, without all the departments showing first (though these come up briefly and then disappear), but the two drop-down lists show just one choice, which is the one at the top of the list of choices, populating that one thing. Any ideas?

Sarah

[peblaco]

Go to Search and Filtering Settings under Filtering un-tick Allow Searching By Sub Sections. Check your custom variable in Design Library "Searchable" ticked and filled in on products.

[saucysal]

OK on Departments, but products not found

I have unticked Allow Searching by Sub Sections and this has removed the Departments. Good. Thank you. However, still no products found. I have Searchable ticked on both variables. In variables I have Group: Product, Place of Setting: Product (I have also tried ticking Section), Allow Use Parent unticked, but have also tried ticked, Panel Name: Properties, Type: List of Choices: choices entered, Searchable ticked. In the Filtering tab of Section, have Enable Filtering and Make Filtering the Default View ticked, All Sections, and Property and Value entered. In Settings: Search and Filter Settings: Filtering tab I have Is Optional ticked for both Properties, but have tried unticking, and have tried the Default as Any and an item at top of list. With each product on the website, Properties tab, I have selected the Brand of the product from the list therein and the type of product from the list therein. Everything appears fine on the website except no products are found.

Sarah

[saucysal]

Have to have brand sub-sections first?

I have re-read the Knowledge Base about Advanced Filtering, and Brands sections (not just one brand but a choice of all brands). It would appear that I have misunderstood previously, and that you have to have sub-sections of the Brands section for each brand, and then apply the filtering to each of these sub-sections, not the Brands section. However, as there are so many brands, I would like the Brands to be in a drop-down list, not a section list of sub-sections. Am I trying to do something that is not possible?

Sarah

[peblaco]

You don't need to create sub-sections. You can create one section Brands, make filtering the default view will load in products from elsewhere on the site.

[saucysal]

Been trying to do that

I have been trying to do that (see my previous postings). I have successfully got a Brands section with a drop down selection list of brands to choose from and a drop down list of product types to choose, but no products are found, even though all products have the brand and the type selected in Properties, and all settings are as instructed by Sellerdeck. I think I need to speak to support.

Sarah

[saucysal]

Awaiting response

Just to update what is happening in case anybody else has the same problem, I contacted support on Friday 21 June and uploaded snapshot (took a while) and am waiting (Tuesday pm) for a solution. Would appear to be not a straight-forward problem.

In the meantime, I have tried all methods that I can see, to no avail. Basically, I can get drop-down selection lists in the left column, but no products found, or I can get products found but only one selection choice in the drop-down list (the one at the top).

Once this problem has been sorted, I will be able to apply it to the Brands section on my site (at the moment having to be hidden) and can also upgrade another site for which filtering would be particularly beneficial.

Sarah