MapThat – Simple Searches not Working

By David Crowther

Question:

I have created a Simple Search Layer in MapThat, but when it runs it says there are no results, why does this happen?

Answer:

MapThat has two types of Search. The first is the default Search type, where the results of the query are added as a new spatial layer within the map window and the attributes shown in the data table. This Search type essentially creates a new FILTER layer from the main table which is then added to the map for you to view the results. Default Search layer types also allow you to use a geographic query when you run the search e.g. Select all the Planning Applications, where their Progress is ‘Submitted’ and they are within a 50m buffer. As shown below, the default search types allow you to apply the pre-created Area Search (buffer) to refine the results to those within a 50 metre area.

In MapThat v4 and onwards we introduced the Simple Search. These can use the same SQL Query Syntax as a default Search, but the Administrator has simply chosen to reveal them to the User as a Simple Search type.

In this example the Simple Search of addresses has the same options as the default search, but there is no option to apply an Area Search, and the results of the search are not added as a new Layer in the map. Instead the Simple Search results are listed below the Search options.

Here the User can now choose the record that they were searching for and with the two toggle buttons they can choose to zoom to that feature and also display the corresponding Layer. The Simple Search does not create a new FILTER layer, it simply lists the results, recentres the map and if the User chooses it then displays the main layer.

When creating a Simple Search layer we would always recommend creating them as a default Search type first to test that the Search runs as expected. Once the Search Layer is correct, the Admin User can choose the options to then set this as a Simple Search, these includes two options to define per Search Layer if the User can tick the options to Zoom to the chosen Feature and also whether the User can then auto display the Layer.

However, even if a default Search runs and returns records, you may find that when you change this to a Simple Search you get this error message:

The cause of this is likely because when we execute a Simple Search we run an extra check to ensure that the records returned are within the Projects Map Extents. This means that although there are valid results, as returned by the default Search type, the Simple Search is also running a spatial query to ensure the records are within the Project area. So if the Projects Min and Max Long and Lat values are incorrect (e.g. as shown below) the Simple Searches will not be able to return any records.

Once the Min and Max Long and Lat values for the Project have been correctly assigned as shown below……

…. the Simple Search will now return records in the list below the search options.