Sort Option form

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 5, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Sort Option form

    The Sort Option form is used within AI Search application configurations to create or modify search result sort options. These options define how search results are ordered based on specified fields, enhancing the search experience by allowing users to sort results meaningfully.

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    Key Features

    • Label: Defines the display name of the sort option in the search application's sort menu, making it user-friendly.
    • Sort Field: Specifies the field used to sort results. It supports date, number, or string fields with two main formats:
      • Qualified field format: Uses [indexedsourcetablename].[fieldname] to sort by fields from a specific source table, e.g., kbknowledge.author.
      • Unqualified field format: Uses common AI Search index fields like title or language to sort results.

      Important considerations include:

      • The linked search profile must include a search source derived from the specified indexed source table to avoid errors.
      • Sorting on parent table fields includes child table values, allowing comprehensive sorting across table hierarchies.
      • Sorting on child table fields requires specifying the parent table name as qualifier, even if the field exists only in the child table.
    • Application: Automatically sets the application scope for the sort option, ensuring correct context.
    • Ascending: Option to display results in ascending (a to z) or descending (z to a) order.
    • Active: Toggles whether the sort option is enabled for use in the search application.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    By configuring sort options correctly using this form, you can tailor search result ordering to match user needs, such as sorting by author, date, or title. This improves search relevance and user experience within your AI Search application. Ensure that the indexed source tables are properly linked in your search profile and that you use supported field types to avoid errors during configuration.

    The Sort Option form contains information about search result sort options defined in your AI Search application configurations. Use this form when creating or modifying a search result sort option for a search application configuration.

    For details on creating or editing search result sort options, see Search result sort options in AI Search application configurations.

    Table 1. Sort Option form
    Field Description
    Label Label displayed for the search result sort option in the search application's sort menu.
    Sort Field Name of a source table field or common index field that the sort option uses to sort search results.
    The sort field can be a date, number, or string field.
    Note:
    If you specify a sort field of an unsupported type, an error message appears when you attempt to save the sort option.
    Supports the following formats:
    Qualified [indexed_source_table_name].[field_name] entry

    Sort search results on their values from the specified table's field.

    For example, enter kb_knowledge.author to sort search results by their Author field values.
    Note:
    The parent search application configuration's linked search profile must include a search source derived from the specified indexed source table. If this condition isn't met, an error message appears when you attempt to save the sort option.
    Unqualified common index field name

    Sort search results on their values from the specified common AI Search index field.

    For example, enter title to sort search results based on their titles, or language to sort search results based on their language.

    The [indexed_source_table_name] qualifier must be the name of a table specified in an indexed source. Don't specify indexed source child table names for this qualifier.

    Special cases include:
    Sorting on parent table fields

    If you specify an indexed source parent table's field in a sort option, AI Search includes values from the same field on child tables from the indexed source.

    For example, suppose you create an indexed source for custom table Parent [u_parent] which is extended by custom table Child [u_child], and then specify u_parent.author as the field for a sort option. When a user applies the sort option, AI Search uses both u_parent.author and u_child.author field values to sort the search result list.

    Sorting on child table fields

    You can specify a field that's unique to an indexed source's child table as a sort option field.

    Continuing the previous example, if your Child [u_child] table includes an Editor field that's not present on the Parent [u_parent] table, you can define u_parent.editor as a sort option field to sort search result s using this field's values.
    Note:
    Be sure to specify the parent table's name as the qualifier, not the child table's name.
    Application Application scope for the search result sort option. This field is automatically set.
    Ascending Option to make the search result sort option display results in ascending order (a to z). Clear this option to make the search result sort option display results in descending order (z to a).
    Active Option to activate the search result sort option for use in the search application.