Custom Search Fields Not Working

[Former Community Member]

In Workflow Process Designer I have selected several search fields to be used by Workflow Server. When I log into Workflow Server and select Search and select the process, I see a Search Custom Fields selection box and can select the search fields that I indicated to be available. However, I get no search results regardless of what I search for in these fields. Any ideas?

[Former Community Member]

Perry,



How did you define your custom search fields? There are 2 concepts for advanced search fields:



one that allows you to select the fields from the initiation form, and will be automatically stored in the database, making the values searchable under the "Search work items satisfying search key field conditions" header in the advanced search criteria. - This only appears if you have defined fields for the process map.



I have used this method frequently, and can verify that it does work.



The other - using the custom fields referred to in the search criteria under heading "Search work items satisfying custom field conditions", I have never used, and at the moment I cannot remember where you set those search values in. This heading appears every time, regardless of the added definitions you may have or have not done.



Regards,

Sanna

[Former Community Member]

Hi Sanna,



I used the first method where I selected fields in the process map to be searchable. What am I missing?



Perry

[Former Community Member]

HI Perry,



Do your fields that you selected appear in the dropdown list under heading "Search work items satisfying search key field conditions:"? (The default value to the drop down is "No search field specified")



You'll only see one dropdown list, and the fields to allow entering search criteria only appears once you have selected the field to use. This, I presume, enables different behaviour for different data types.



If they do not appear in the dropdown list in the first place, then there is something wrong with the configuration of those fields - redo the lot and save your process map again on the server and see if that works. Oh - and run a test process or two, filling those fields, so the database has some data for the fields, too.



Hope this helps,

Sanna

[Former Community Member]

Hi Sanna,



Yes, the fields appear on the search page in the drop-down list. I have tried searches on those fields on processes that I know have values in those fields, but I get no search results.



Any other ideas?



Perry

[Former Community Member]

Sorry Perry,



The only time I have had that problem, has been when I have selected the search criteria, and have forgotten to remove my name from the 'initiated by' text box, and thus the values did not return anything..



You could investigate the values in the database, to ensure they are stored correctly.. I think the searchfields are listed in ITSEARCHFLDS (or similar) table, and the values would be in something like ITSRCHFLDDATA - they are probably also available via the API, if you prefer to follow the guidelines of how to use the data..



Good luck,

Sanna

[Former Community Member]

Hi Sanna,



It appears to be working now. I think what happened was that when I first selected the search fields, I had to wait for some new process instances to be created where the search fields would be populated.



Thanks for your help.



Perry

[Former Community Member]

I have the same problem from time to time. Sometimes the search field data is inserted into the sql server tables and sometimes it is not. Is there an upper limit on the number of records? Has anyone else seen odd behavior in the values from the xft form not being written to the tables?

[Former Community Member]

I have seen that if you group fields as a control group in the form that the search fields are not available. There are now at the group level and not the page level.