[ModernSearch] Roadmap & enhancements

[FranckyC]

Category

• [X] Enhancement

Expected or Desired Behavior

Possible enhancements for the ModerSearch solution:

Search box

• Clear hashtags from the URL if present when a new query is entered

Search refiners

• Add a 'Show more' + search box options for long refiners list
• Add an horizontal layout with dropdown
• Add shimmers for the initial load. Not a big deal but it can be weird on the first query.
• Add predefined refiner templates (alphabetical filter, taxonomy picker).
• Add an option to display managed metadata full path #155

Search navigation

• Allow predefined queries on tabs to enable single search page scenario with query rules and result types.
• Datasource selection limited to Search Results web part
• Fix issue where it doesn't correctly identify the homepage as being part of the navigation collection, thus not marking any link as active

Search results

• Retrieve context parameters (hashtags, query string parameters) when a default query is set.
• Search usage analyics using App Insights
• Explore Microsoft adaptive cards as a complement for templating. Waiting data binding feature

Please let us know before starting any of these feature so we can discuss the approach. https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-solutions/issues/70

[YannickRe]

Two more improvements that would be nice. What do you think? ~Search box~ ~- Ability to "clear" the entry and return to the default state~ => #129

~Search navigation~ ~- Datasource selection limited to Search Results web part~ ~- Fix issue where it doesn't correctly identify the homepage as being part of the navigation collection, thus not marking any link as active~ => see #130

[FranckyC]

Yep nice additions as well @YannickRe

[YannickRe]

More general suggestions:

• Upgrade to SPFx v1.8
• When library components go GA, move ResultService and SearchService (+ associated interfaces) to a separate library for use in renderers and separate web parts.

@FranckyC : maybe move everything you approve of to your first post? Then we have a nice roadmap to pick stuff from :)

[FranckyC]

Done @YannickRe. Not sure about the library components. I would have to play with it before to evaluate if it can be useful in this solution ;)

[YannickRe]

Search pagination

• In edit mode, when there aren't any results, show the same grey box as the other web parts. Would make it more clear that this web part exists on the page. => #113

[coupalm]

Other improvements suggestions:

• Refiners: Display hierarchical structure of managed metadata terms (like Elio Struyf refiners example)
• Refiners: Display description of managed metadata terms on mouse hover terms

-Search Box: Configurable managed properties drop down. Could append the selected managed property at the end of what already exists in the search box. Example of selecting Title then Author: Title:"Enter your value here" Author:"Enter your value here"

[coupalm]

Refiner: For managed metadata, provide a third sorting option: Use manual terms sort order defined in term store.

[cebud]

Refiners: to be able to preselect refinement value from query string

[clechner77]

Several additional possible improvements/options -Search as you type -Integration with default searchbox (now in header for SPO)

[wobba]

@clechner77 stay tuned for OOB search box integration :) Search as you type (query suggestions) in the PnP are already implemented, but without getting too technical it's not always easy to get them out correct (unless you have added static ones). That said, we will add this as well as part of an architecture review we have just started, and we have code available which implements this we can use.

[clechner77]

@wobba - For search as you type, I meant searching and showing actual results as you are typing. This happens when you are editing the web part/search query, but not when you're connected to a search box (or maybe I just didn't see a setting which is entirely possible).

[wobba]

@clechner77 ok.. real results. Except the oob one is not the exact same as a real search, as it's using an undocumented internal API to get those results - but do get your point 👍.

[BasChrille]

Improvements suggestion slider with bar graph search refiner

[wobba]

@BasChrille for dates and number, or for text as well? Number of values/buckets could be an issue with legends if there are many.

[BasChrille]

@BasChrille for dates and number, or for text as well? Number of values/buckets could be an issue with legends if there are many.

I was mainly thinking of Dates

[frankok]

@clechner77 stay tuned for OOB search box integration :) Search as you type (query suggestions) in the PnP are already implemented, but without getting too technical it's not always easy to get them out correct (unless you have added static ones). That said, we will add this as well as part of an architecture review we have just started, and we have code available which implements this we can use.

@wobba, could you please elaborate on this integration? If you remember, I asked about this back in april. Do you have any insights you can share, or link to?

[wobba]

@frankok I cannot share anything except what was told at SPC that it's coming - and it still is :)

[frankok]

I understand. Thank you for sharing, though. Looking forward seeing this come into play. :-)

[mleher]

Can the modern search webparts be used in GCC?

[wobba]

@mleher I don't see why not as it uses the SharePoint REST API's.