The benefit of searching an archive page is the use of existing WordPress Query Vars like:
- s=
- cat, category_name,
- taxonomy
- tag, tag_id
- pagename, page_id
- author, author_name
- order
- orderby
- more query vars here
When using these query vars in a search form WordPress will use the search.php template to display the results to change this you can define another template file like this (functions.php):
<?php
function render_movie_search_template( $template ) {
global $wp_query;
$post_type = get_query_var( 'post_type' );
if ( ! empty( $wp_query->is_search ) && $post_type == 'movie') {
return locate_template( 'archive-movie.php' );
}
return $template;
}
add_filter( 'template_include', 'render_movie_search_template');Using extra query vars, example:
<?php
function movie_search_query_vars_filter($vars) {
$vars[] .= 'director_id';
$vars[] .= 'movie_rating';
$vars[] .= 'movie_category_ids';
return $vars;
}
add_filter( 'query_vars', 'movie_search_query_vars_filter' );And to modify the query loop through pre_get_posts
<?php
function movie_archive( $query ) {
if ( $query->is_archive('movie') && $query->is_main_query() && !is_admin() ) {
// get query vars
$movie_rating = get_query_var( 'movie_rating', FALSE );
$director = get_query_var( 'director_id', FALSE );
$category = get_query_var( 'movie_category_ids', FALSE);
// working with the meta query
$meta_query_array = array('relation' => 'AND');
$director ? array_push($meta_query_array, array('key' => 'director', 'value' => '"' . $director . '"', 'compare' => 'LIKE') ) : null ;
$movie_rating ? array_push($meta_query_array, array('key' => 'movie_rating', 'value' => $movie_rating, 'compare' => '>=') ) : null ;
$query->set( 'meta_query', $meta_query_array );
// tax query
$tax_query_array = array('relation' => 'OR');
$category ? array_push($tax_query_array, array('taxonomy' => 'movies-category', 'field' => 'term_id', 'terms' => $category) ) : null ;
$query->set( 'tax_query', $tax_query_array);
}
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'movie_archive' );And the form on the archive.php page (in this example archive-movie.php)
<form method="GET" action="<?php echo get_post_type_archive_link('movie'); ?>">
<?php
// loops to get values
$directors = new WP_Query(array(
'post_type' => 'director',
'posts_per_page' => -1
));
$categories = get_terms( array(
'taxonomy' => 'movies-category',
'hide_empty' => false,
) );
?>
<div>
<?php if($directors->have_posts()) {
$directorId = sanitize_text_field(get_query_var( 'director_id' ));
?>
<label for="director_id">Director</label>
<select name="director_id" id="director_id">
<option value="">--Any--</option>
<?php while($directors->have_posts()) { ?>
<?php $directors->the_post(); ?>
<option value="<?php echo the_ID(); ?>" <?php if (get_the_ID() == $directorId) { ?> selected <?php } ?>><?php echo the_title(); ?></option>
<?php } ?>
</select>
<?php } ?>
<?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>
<label for="movie_rating">Minimum movie_rating</label>
<select name="movie_rating" id="movie_rating">
<option value="">--Any--</option>
<option value="1" <?php echo get_query_var( 'movie_rating', FALSE) == 1 ? 'selected' : null ; ?>>1 Star</option>
<option value="2" <?php echo get_query_var( 'movie_rating', FALSE) == 2 ? 'selected' : null ; ?>>2 Stars</option>
<option value="3" <?php echo get_query_var( 'movie_rating', FALSE) == 3 ? 'selected' : null ; ?>>3 Stars</option>
<option value="4" <?php echo get_query_var( 'movie_rating', FALSE) == 4 ? 'selected' : null ; ?>>4 Stars</option>
<option value="5" <?php echo get_query_var( 'movie_rating', FALSE) == 5 ? 'selected' : null ; ?>>5 Stars</option>
</select>
</div>
<?php
if( !empty($categories) ) {
$mcids[] = get_query_var( 'movie_category_ids');
?>
<div>
<?php foreach($categories as &$category) { ?>
<!-- we add `[]` to `movie_category_ids` in order to read the results as an array -->
<input
type="checkbox"
id="<?php echo $category->name; ?>"
value="<?php echo $category->term_id; ?>"
name="movie_category_ids[]"
<?php if (in_array($category->term_id, $mcids)) { ?> checked <?php } ?>
/>
<label for="<?php echo $category->name; ?>"><?php echo $category->name; ?></label>
<?php } ?>
</div>
<?php } ?>
<div >
<button>Search</button>
<a href="<?php echo get_post_type_archive_link('movie'); ?>">Reset</a>
</div>
</form>Now to add in the existing WordPress Query Var you can add elements to the form like this:
<input type="search" name="s" value="<?php echo $textField ?>" placeholder="Text Search..." >
Note: the form element name should be the same as the query var name.