# How to use the parameters of the EssentialsSearchComponent
**URL:** https://community.bloomreach.com/t/how-to-use-the-parameters-of-the-essentialssearchcomponent/2163
**Category:** Experience Manager (PaaS/OnPrem)
**Created:** [October 5, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://community.bloomreach.com/t/how-to-use-the-parameters-of-the-essentialssearchcomponent/2163 "2020-10-05T15:07:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
EssentialsSearchComponent comes with 2 parts:
1. the search form (which is available through the Standard-Catalogue)
2. the search-result page (which is directed to, when the search-form is submitted)
The Component also comes with some parameters declared in EssentialsSearchComponentInfo
Beside a side-wide search, I also want to offer some “page specific search”.
I would like to place the search form on different pages and limit the documentTypes on some pages (e.g. news -page - \> limit to )
How can I pass the documentTypes, configured on the Search Form Component to the Search-Component on the search-result page?
---
Hi Thomas,
You should be able to get the EssentialsSearchComponentInfo class from the “cparam” attribute (as set by #populateRequest from parent EssentialsListComponent), then use its #getDocumentTypes method.
HTH
Jeroen
---
Hi Jeroen,
do you mean something like
` final EssentialsSearchComponentInfo cparam = (EssentialsSearchComponentInfo) requestContext.getAttribute("cparam");`
in doBeforeRender-method of my custom component ?
The above code-snippet results in “null” ☹
I am currently doing a post-request an make a redirect to annother page. I guess that is the point.
Here is the code:
```
@Override
public void doAction(HstRequest request, HstResponse response) throws stComponentException {
super.doAction(request, response);
FormMap formMap = new FormMap(request, new String[]{"dt", "query"});
logger.info("Search called for docType {} and query-string= {}",
formMap.getField("dt").getValue(), formMap.getField("query").getValue());
request.setAttribute("dt", formMap.getField("dt").getValue());
request.setAttribute("query", formMap.getField("query").getValue());
try {
response.sendRedirect("/site/search");
} catch (IOException e) {
logger.error(e.getMessage());
}
}
```
Normally I would return a RedirectView with some attributes, but that is not possible here ☹ !?
---
OK I get it, the redirect will go to a page that doesn’t have the same component.
You could use `response.setRenderParameter()` to communicate parameter values. These will show as public request parameters that you can read.
Also I advise you to use `BaseHstComponent#sendRedirect()` when redirecting, using site map item, not a hardcoded context path “/site/search” that will probably fail in live environment.
Regards, Jeroen
---
Hie Jeroen,
unfortunately that still does not work.
I changed my code to the following:
```
@Override
public void doAction(HstRequest request, HstResponse response) throws HstComponentException {
super.doAction(request, response);
FormMap formMap = new FormMap(request, new String[]{"dt", "query"});
logger.info("Search called for docType {} and query-string= {}",
formMap.getField("dt").getValue(), formMap.getField("query").getValue());
response.setRenderParameter("dt", formMap.getField("dt").getValue());
response.setRenderParameter("query", formMap.getField("query").getValue());
HstLinkCreator linkCreator = request.getRequestContext()
.getHstLinkCreator();
// create HstLink
HstLink link = linkCreator.createByRefId("search", this.getMount(request));
// create the url String
String Url = link.toUrlForm(request.getRequestContext(),false);
this.sendRedirect(Url,request,response);
}
```
In doBeforeRender I have:
#
```
@Override
public void doBeforeRender(HstRequest request, HstResponse response) {
super.doBeforeRender(request, response);
logger.info("Received query-Attribute from request: {}",
request.getAttribute("query"));
this.cleanupSearchQuery(this.getAnyParameter(request, "query"));
final EssentialsSearchComponentInfo componentParametersInfo = this.getComponentParametersInfo(request);
request.setAttribute("docType", componentParametersInfo.getDocumentTypes());
}
```
There are still 2 problems:
1. request.getAttribute is still null, expected is “Portal” (tested with hardcoded redirect url!) from
` response.setRenderParameter("query", formMap.getField("query").getValue());`
and the created link resolves in
` http://localhost/site/site/search`
and not
` http://localhost/site/search`
Any further tips ??
---
So are you redirecting in code to your own page? If so, why, since that part is an out-of-the-box feature. by the Post Redirect Get pattern already used. Then just `request.setAttribute("docType", componentParametersInfo.getDocumentTypes());` should be enough.
Otherwise to get a request parameter set by #setRenderParameter, use #getPublicRequestParameter.
If you do want to redirect, how about `sendRedirect("search",request,response)` where “search” is an existing site map item.
HTH
Jeroen
---
Hi Jeroen,
> [@jeroen.hoffman](#):
>
> So are you redirecting in code to your own page?
Yes- that is correct. But unfortunatelly
` request.setAttribute("docType", componentParametersInfo.getDocumentTypes())`
The reason is not to prevent double submission, but hiding query-parameters (see also explanation of use case at the end)
does not work with the redirect - It even does not work without redirect (from action-phase to render phase / at least in my case ☹ ).
I made a couple of test.
I put a second searchBox on my page, both call the same component. The form is submittet by post:
In “doAction” I put the following lines:
```
response.setRenderParameter("test", "set test by response.setRenderParameter");
request.setAttribute("test2", "set test2 by request.setAttribute);
```
Then in doBeforeRender I try to get them with:
```
this.getAnyParameter(request, "test");
this.getPublicRequestParameter(request,"test");
request.getAttribute("test2);
```
Only
` this.getAnyParameter(request, "test");`
works - but only for the one component, which did the post!
With redirecting, even that does not work!
I took a look at what BaseHstComponent#sendRedirect does!
It calls HSTResponseUtils#sendRedirect at at the end this class calls
` response.sendRedirect(urlString);`
I can not detect where attributes are passed with the redirect. I know 2 approaches with Spring .
1. return a RedirectView Object alog with RedirectAttributes
2. return a ModelAndView object along with a ModelMap
The only way I found was to add queryParams to the redirect- but that ends up in url-Parameters -what I would like to prevent.
**Maybe to better understand I explain the use case:**
Different to the “out the box” - implementation of the search-component, where a form with a query-string input, submits to a searchg-page by a get request. So the query-string is submitted as an url-parameter.
I would like to add additional query-parameters, from ComponentInfo and user-input!
I would like to hide these query-parameters. Thererfore I need to do a post-request.
With that approach I can put the search-box on different pages- with different configuration, so that the user can perform a scoped search, with a unique user-experience 🙂
---
OK so it looks like response#setRenderParameter sets a namespaced (component specific) parameter so indeed use #getAnyParameter or request.getParameter(), rather than #getPublicRequestParameter.
So you want a POST, which triggers the #doAction. You will get a redirect to same page out-of-the-box, do please don’t redirect yourself. You’ll get a GET which is a new request. See [https://documentation.bloomreach.com/14/library/concepts/component-development/hst-2-forms.html](https://documentation.bloomreach.com/14/library/concepts/component-development/hst-2-forms.html)
Transferring parameter values from POST to GET can be done:
- by #setRenderParameter, which will be a URL-parameter of the GET
- by saving/retrieving FormMap object to and from the repository (as used by EForms module)
- in HTTP session (but usually the site is session-free)
- in a cookie (why not)
Hope this helps, Jeroen
---
Thank’s for your support and patience.
> [@jeroen.hoffman](#):
>
> Hope this helps, Jeroen
Of course, this helps!
**Update** :
After some more tests, I went back to start - At the end it is very simple- you were totally right with your statement:
> [@jeroen.hoffman](#):
>
> If so, why, since that part is an out-of-the-box feature. by the Post Redirect Get pattern already used
I would like to share my success with the community 🙂
I can keep the “out-of the box” configuration and only add Method = “Post” to action url to hide the url-parameters
`" method="Post">`
Doing so I can get ComponentInfo Params in my component and put them in the request by:
`request.setAttribute("cparam", getComponentParametersInfo(request));`
In the form I add a hidden field:
```
<#if cparam.documentTypes??>
```
In the receiving component, this value is available via:
`final String doctypes = getAnyParameter(request, "doctypes");`