Using dates as a searchfield

[jesusbagpuss]

If you add 'dates' to the search config, you get a textbox.
If you add 'dates_date_type' AND 'dates_date', you get check-boxes for the date_types, and a textbox for the date.
Using this doesn't restrict the date entered to the date_type selected.

It would be better if adding 'dates' resulted in a compound field the same as the input fields.

[jesusbagpuss]

NB Compound search fields aren't a think in EPrints as far as I can see.

As a work-around you can add search field config to always show help:

  { meta_fields => [qw( dates_date_type ) ], show_help => 'always' },
  { meta_fields => [qw( dates_date ) ], show_help => 'always' },

and define phrases e.g.

<epp:phrase id="searchfield_help_dates_date_type">Select a value from this field, and put the date required in the field below</epp:phrase>
<epp:phrase id="searchfield_help_dates_date">Remember to select a value from the date types above too!</epp:phrase>

If desired, you could add some javascript to the help phrase to tie the fields together.