how to use caml queries for optional search values in sharepoint

Question

I have a custom search webpart in Sharepoint which have 7 filters. I am getting data from a Sharepoint list using CAML Query. I want to write a generalized SPQuery which will filter out the data based on the search parameters. The search parameters are optional . If user enters any 2 parameters then I need to get data corresponding to those 2 parameters specified. How do I use CAML Query to achieve this? I am unable to think of a generalized approach for generating my caml query based on search parameters..

Can you give an example of what the input might look like? You'll need some logic between the parameters as well, what are the options you are allowing? — Grace Note
I actually solved the issue by writing logic to dynamically generate the spquery — Abhishek Rao

Sorgfelt Sorgfelt · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-12T14:00:35

Here is a bit of code I used in Silverlight to generate a CAML query based on search parameters. Maybe it is helpful.

    private ClientContext context;
    private Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.List SampleSPList;
    private Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ListItemCollection SampleSPCollection;

    //Load the List
    void LoadList()
    {
        SampleSPList = context.Web.Lists.GetByTitle("Sample");
        context.Load(SampleSPList);

        CamlQuery query = new Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.CamlQuery();

        string camlQueryXml = "";
        bool existsWhere = false;

        if (searchString.Text != "")
        {
            camlQueryXml = camlQueryXml + "<Contains><FieldRef Name='sampleString' /><Value Type='Text'>" + searchString.Text + "</Value></Contains>";
            if (existsWhere == true) {
                camlQueryXml = "<And>" + camlQueryXml + "</And>";
            }
            existsWhere = true;
        }

        if (searchTextArea.Text != "")
        {
            camlQueryXml = camlQueryXml + "<Contains><FieldRef Name='sampleTextArea' /><Value Type='Text'>" + searchTextArea.Text + "</Value></Contains>";
            if (existsWhere == true)
            {
                camlQueryXml = "<And>" + camlQueryXml + "</And>";
            }
            existsWhere = true;
        }

        if (existsWhere == true) { camlQueryXml = "<View><Query><OrderBy><FieldRef Name='ID' /></OrderBy><Where>" + camlQueryXml + "</Where></Query></View>"; }
        else { camlQueryXml = "<View><Query><OrderBy><FieldRef Name='ID' /></OrderBy></Query></View>"; }

        query.ViewXml = camlQueryXml;

        SampleSPCollection = SampleSPList.GetItems(query);
        context.Load(SampleSPCollection);
        context.ExecuteQueryAsync(ListLoaded, ListLoadFailed);
    }

how to use caml queries for optional search values in sharepoint

2 Answers