Linking your page to the Outings Search Page

Webmasters can create links that use the Outings Search Page to display listings from the outings database.

Search Parameters

The Outings Search Page accepts the following parameters:

SearchType: You must include "SearchType=URL" in your URL if you want to use this feature.

SearchDesc: Use this parameter to pass a short, user-friendly description of the search you intend to perform. The search page will display this as the title at the top of the page. E.g. if you are searching for outings led by John Muir, you might want to include "SearchDesc=Outings+led+by+John+Muir" in your URL. If you omit this parameter, the page will invent one for you, which you may or may not find to your liking.

FromDate: Use this parameter to specify the earliest starting date for the outings that will be included in your listing. This may be any of the following:

• a date string, e.g. "31-Aug-2004" (use this format, not "12/31/04" etc.)
• the keyword "ALL", indicating that your listing should include any outings in the database regardless of when they start
• the keyword "TODAY", indicating that your listing should include only outings that begin on the current date or in the future

If you omit this parameter, it defaults to "TODAY".

ToDate: Use this parameter to specify the latest ending date for the outings that will be included in your listing. This may be any of the following:

• a date string, e.g. "31-Aug-2004" (use this format, not "12/31/04" etc.)
• the keyword "ALL", indicating that your listing should include any outings in the database regardless of when they end
• the keyword "TODAY", indicating that your listing should include only outings that end on the current date or in the past

If you omit this parameter, it defaults to "ALL".

Sponsor: Use this parameter to specify a text string to be searched for in the Sponsors column of the listings. If you include "Sponsor=Sierra+Singles+Section" in your URL, your search results will include only outings that have "Sierra Singles Section" in the Sponsors column.

Beware: this is a simple text substring search. If you put "Sponsor=Sierra+Singles" in your URL, your listings will include outings sponsored by the Sierra Singles Section and those sponsored by the Orange County Sierra Singles.

Leader: Use this parameter to specify a text string to be searched for in the Leaders column of the listings. If you include "Leader=John+Muir" in your URL, your search results will include only outings that have "John Muir" in the Leaders column. As with Sponsors, this is a substring search -- if you put "Leader=Fred+Smith" in your URL, your listings will include those led people such as Fred Smith, Fred Smithers, and Winnifred Smithsonian.

Desc: Use this parameter to specify a text string to be searched for in the Title & Description column of the listings. If you include "Desc=chicken" in your URL, your search results will include only outings that have the word "chicken" in the Title & Description column.

Keyword: Use this parameter to specify a text string to be searched for in any of the three text columns: Sponsors, Leaders, or Title & Description. If you include "Keyword=Baldy" in your URL, your search results will include outings that have the word "baldy" in one of the three columns. In other words, you will get all the outings that are a) sponsored by the Mt. Baldy group, b) mention the view of Mt. Baldy in the outing's description, or c) are led by someone named "Harry McBaldy".

Rating: Use this parameter to specify a rating code to search for. If you include "Rating=E" in your URL, your results will include only those outings that are rated Extreme. Beware: while some outings have two rating codes, e.g. "TS", you should only search for one at a time. If you send a "Rating=TS" in your URL, you will not match outings whose ratings are entered as "ST".

Mixing and matching your cirteria

You can use any combination of the above parameters. Your listings will include only those outings that meet all of your criteria.

Examples

To list all outings in the database that begin on or after the current day, link to:

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/outingsDB/index.aspx?SearchType=URL
&SearchDesc=Outings+Starting+Today&FromDate=Today

To list all outings in the database that end on or before Feb 1, 2004, link to:

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/outingsDB/index.aspx?SearchType=URL
&SearchDesc=Outings+Starting+February+1&FromDate=ALL&ToDate=01-Feb-04

To list all the upcoming outings that are sponsored by the Ski Mountaineers, link to:

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/outingsDB/index.aspx?SearchType=URL
&SearchDesc=Upcoming+Ski+Mountaineers+Outings&Sponsor=Ski+Mountaineers

To list all the one-day outings that are being held today, link to:

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/outingsDB/index.aspx?SearchType=URL
&SearchDesc=Today+Only&FromDate=Today&ToDate=Today

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