[Resolved] Searching Users Profiles & contacting them (previous ticket #1216546)

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[kimA-2]

Hi sorry I thought I had this right but now I've done something & can't figure it out and made a mess.

The object of the site has two componenets:
- a free members area
- a paid members area to access the Time Swap Hub - Carers can find other carers in their area and organise to swap time with other members

Components required:
- Create a profile
- Browse profiles
- Search profiles (not working and I havne't even tried to implement the map location search yet)
- Message profiles (Installed as per module settings but haven't tested yet & need this on profile pages)

Pages are protected by Memberpress members plugin so that part is fine as I have a free members area as well. Members can only access the below pages only if they are a paid member (working no problem).

After members register they go to:

hidden link to create their profile (setup using your info that you helped me with before in this ticket above)

Once they fill out the profile, they are then re-directed to the profile page

There they can see the following pages
- My Profile | (No messaging facility yet)
- Edit Profile (not working correctly) |
- Browse Profiles (Working)
- Search Profiles (NOT Working)
Screenshot of members browse page: hidden link

As mentioned I thought I had it pretty well right & then mucked it up with implementing messaging & local search and now it's a bit of a mess in there. Are you able to help?

<REMOVED>

Thanks Kim

<---- previous ticket information---->
Tell us what you are trying to do? Site is a Carer's Time Swap Hub and I want members to be able add their own profile and browse or search other members profiles so pages are My Profile, Edit My Profile, Browse Profile and Search Profiles. Members can then communicate using the messaging module to arrange sharing care arrangements. Access to the Members area pages is controlled by Memberpress membership plugin.

Is there any documentation that you are following? As it is not quite a membership site or a classified site I was trying to follow both plus some of the preset modules. I made up custom fields as posts but then got stuck on the Add / Edit Profile so I know have all the custom fields as user fields and thought I had it but can't do the Browse page, all dummy data is showing the logged in user details and the Add Profile form although showing in my admin login is not viewable as a VIP member

Is there a similar example that we can see? I initially used a Dating software thinking this was the closest match but it was just too bloated.

What is the link to your site? hidden link

RESPONSE FROM NIGEL.....

Hi Kim

You mention a few problems you are running into but I don't have a concrete issue to deal with.

I'm not too familiar with MemberPress so I don't know how it affects what you are doing, whether it is used exclusively to restrict access to certain pages (which you can do with Access), or if it does something else that has a bearing on how you implement your site.

In any case, WordPress doesn't provide for profile pages, so while it is straightforward to create a "My Profile" page which displays user fields for the current logged-in user, it is less so to display the profile of a different user, because there is no "site.com/user/fred" equivalent URL structure as exists for posts, e.g. "site.com/profile/fred" which would display a profile post called fred.

The typical solution here is to create "profile" posts which map one-to-one to users (with users the authors of their corresponding profile post), as described here: https://toolset.com/documentation/post-relationships/how-to-create-custom-searches-and-relationships-for-users/

That then makes it easier to create profile pages for individual users as well as facilitating searches based on profile fields (e.g. show me carers within 20 miles who can speak French) that you would otherwise be unable to do with user fields.

So I would start by setting up your site on that basis.

If you have any specific questions as you do so then please ask.

<---- previous ticket information---->

[Beda]

I've removed the access details you've shared as the forum is public. Only specifically marked as private messages are not visible to everyone.

As Nigel mentioned already, WordPress is not ready to show User Profiles as you mean. Neither is Toolset.
Current logged in user data is easy to display, less so "others" user data.

There is the one solution Nigel mentions, which is to mimic the User to a post type, and then there is the solution where you keep the users, but you create manual search inputs for Users Views to show only data you want to see. I just elaborated today on such solution here:
https://toolset.com/forums/topic/directories/#post-1280027

Now, according to your requirements, I put together a set of answers below:

- Create a profile
==> This can be done with Toolset Forms, since it allows to create and edit users, but I am not sure how it will integrate with your Membership plugins used.
https://toolset.com/documentation/getting-started-with-toolset/publish-content-from-the-front-end/
- Browse profiles
==> Possible, but the approach is different depending on what (posts or users) you are browsing. In any case you'd use Views, usually.
https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/display-lists-of-posts-and-create-custom-searches/
- Search profiles (not working and I haven't even tried to implement the map location search yet)
==> As mentioned above, possible natively only if those are post types. If those are users, then there 2 approaches, one of which is the official suggested to mimic users to post types:
https://toolset.com/documentation/post-relationships/how-to-create-custom-searches-and-relationships-for-users/
- Message profiles (Installed as per module settings but haven't tested yet & need this on profile pages)
==> I assume you mean this https://toolset.com/modules/messaging-system/.
That does not work with users. It works with posts types only.
Since users can be mimicked to a post type, you can hence message to users, but that requires to mimic the users to a post type.

[kimA-2]

Hi Thankyou for your response. I had already followed Nigel's suggestions and I have the following working:

a. User submitted form to create user post however I can't get the edit form to work properly for users to edit their data instead it creates a new post for them

b. I have a Browse profiles (users posts) working no problem

c. The search users profiles is also 'sort of' working. I copied and edited the 'Search Houses' example form HOWEVER the user had to choose all filters and it wasn't flexible and in trying to fix it I 'did' something and now its not formatted (screenshot attached)

d. Are you saying that the messaging module will not allow users to privately contact each other using the above scenario's

So firstly can you please answer:

1. I originally used a WordPress based dating plugin which had all the features, however the customisation required to remove all the dating features concerned me in regards to future updates was concerning, it still looked like a dating site. Will toolset be able to achieve what I need?

2. If Toolset can achieve what I need, is it possible to get a quote for someone to finish it off for me?

Thanks Kim

New threads created by Beda and linked to this one are listed below:

https://toolset.com/forums/topic/instead-of-edit-users-the-form-seems-to-add-users/

[Beda]

Let's separate issues, one issue each ticket.

a. "User submitted form to create user post however I can't get the edit form to work properly for users to edit their data instead it creates a new post for them"
==> https://toolset.com/forums/topic/instead-of-edit-users-the-form-seems-to-add-users/

b. OK great. Hence not the issue here.

c. "The search users profiles is also 'sort of' working. I copied and edited the 'Search Houses' example form HOWEVER the user had to choose all filters and it wasn't flexible and in trying to fix it I 'did' something and now it's not formatted (screenshot attached)"
==> I received no screenshot (unless you mean this one hidden link).
I think this is the main issue you want to report here?
If so, please, can you elaborate:
- where I can see this issue,
- how it should look alike and what you see instead?
Then, I can try to find the cause of this. It will be helpful knowing what lead to the issue (what changes you made just before the issue started)

d. "Are you saying that the messaging module will not allow users to privately contact each other using the above scenario's"
==> See the DOC here https://toolset.com/modules/messaging-system/:

The messaging system provides users with an immediate way to chat with contractors in a seamless conversation. The messaging system is built upon a single custom post type. The messages are added with Toolset Forms and displayed with Views and a Content Template.

It will work with the author of the post (message) so yes you can message single users, I misunderstood you want to message to the user as an object, hence directly message the users in some way.
This Module uses a post type "messages" that have an author (the user). In this sense yes you can message between users, but over a Post Type.
My apologies for having confused you here.

Related to your last 2 questions:
1. I originally used a WordPress based dating plugin which had all the features, however the customisation required to remove all the dating features concerned me in regards to future updates was concerning, it still looked like a dating site. Will toolset be able to achieve what I need?
==> I am not sure I understand. Did the other plugin have too many or too few features?
Toolset may be used to construct something similar like a dating site, however, it is not the ideal tool for it, as, for example, extended chat features are missing (Buddy Press would be a solution here or WP Symposium).
User profiles are also a bit of work in WordPress generally, which is more focused on content (posts).
But it's surely possible, I can help you draw out a plan and I can accompany you through this development.

2. If Toolset can achieve what I need, is it possible to get a quote for someone to finish it off for me?
==> If you need custom development done, or need help with the project that is above the scope of the Toolset support (https://toolset.com/toolset-support-policy/), we offer a list of certified contractors here https://toolset.com/contractors/.

Please let me know if anything remains unclear, and if we can help you further with this project.

As mentioned I also split the ticket to https://toolset.com/forums/topic/instead-of-edit-users-the-form-seems-to-add-users/ to analyse the issue of users being added instead of edited.

For the case you need to share access or private links here, I enabled a private reply.