Custom WordPress search with multiple text fields - wordpress

Question

I need to create a custom WordPress search form, with multiple text input fields. Each text field should search its corresponding meta key. Frontend would look like this:
Search form:
<form role="search" action="/" method="get" id="searchform">
<input type="text" name="s" placeholder="Name"/>
<input type="text" name="hometown" placeholder="Hometown"/>
<input type="text" name="branch" placeholder="Branch of Service"/>
<input type="text" name="birth" placeholder="Birth Year"/>
<input type="text" name="casualty" placeholder="Casualty Year"/>
<input type="text" name="location" placeholder="Casualty Location">
<input type="hidden" name="post_type" value="veterans" />
<input type="submit" alt="Search" value="Search" />
</form>
The "Name" field should search the post title only. The rest of the input fields would search a specific custom meta key. It would use an "AND" relationship when multiple fields are used.
Is this possible? Here is what I have tried, but it doesn't search if the name ("s") is empty, and it doesn't seem to be affected at all by what I enter into the custom fields for Hometown or Branch.
// register query vars
function sm_register_query_vars( $vars ) {
$vars[] = 'hometown';
$vars[] = 'branch';
return $vars;
}
add_filter( 'query_vars', 'sm_register_query_vars' );
// pre get posts
function sm_pre_get_posts( $query ) {
if ( is_admin() || ! $query->is_main_query() ){
return;
}
if ( !is_post_type_archive( 'veterans' ) ){
return;
}
$meta_query = array();
// add meta_query elements
if( !empty( get_query_var( 'hometown' ) ) ){
$meta_query[] = array( 'key' => 'hometown', 'value' => get_query_var( 'hometown' ), 'compare' => 'LIKE' );
}
if( !empty( get_query_var( 'branch' ) ) ){
$meta_query[] = array( 'key' => 'branch', 'value' => get_query_var( 'branch' ), 'compare' => 'LIKE' );
}
if( count( $meta_query ) > 1 ){
$meta_query['relation'] = 'AND';
}
if( count( $meta_query ) > 0 ){
$query->set( 'meta_query', $meta_query );
}
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'sm_pre_get_posts', 1 );
// the search form (display via shortcode)
function sm_search_form( $args ){
$output = '<form id="smform" action="' . esc_url( home_url() ) . '" method="GET" role="search">';
$output .= '<div class="smtextfield"><input type="text" name="s" placeholder="Name" value="' . get_search_query() . '" /></div>';
$output .= '<div class="smtextfield"><input type="text" name="hometown" placeholder="Hometown" value="' . get_search_query() . '" /></div>';
$output .= '<div class="smtextfield"><input type="text" name="branch" placeholder="Branch" value="' . get_search_query() . '" /></div>';
$output .= '<input type="hidden" name="post_type" value="veterans" />';
$output .= '<p><input type="submit" value="Search" class="button" /></p></form>';
return $output;
}
The above query looks like this when attempting to search:
site.com/?s=john+doe&branch=army&hometown=new+york&post_type=veterans

Answer 1

After checking if there are any terms in your search by something like
if($_GET['myfield'])...
try storing each type of your search in a var and then build a custom query with all the items that are in your search. ie :
<?php
$title=$_GET['name']; // Get the name
$params=[]; // Create an array with all the parameters you've got except the name
function populate_array($term) // Create a function to populate your array
{
if ($_GET[$term]) {
$params[$term] = $_GET[$term];
}
}
populate_array('hometown');
populate_array('branch');
//(...)
$args=array( // Initialize your query
'post_type' => 'my_post_type', // Just set your post type if needed
);
if($title){ // If there is a title add it to the query
$args['title']=$title;
}
if(count($params)>0){. // If there are any params
$meta=array('relation'=>'AND'); // Because you asked for it
foreach($params as $param => $value){
$meta[]=array( // Adding each meta tou your query
'key' => $param, // considering you name your meta as your parameter
'value' => $value,
'compare' => '='
);
}
$args['meta_query']=$meta; // Adding your meta to your main query
}
$query = new WP_Query( $args ); // And now you can request your query with all your parameters
I have not tested this but it should work... Maybe some improvements are needed. Test it and come back to me :)