Create contextually filtered view of shared fields across multiple content types

Question

I have a content type "Construction Job" with the title field renamed "Job #". When we create a new job, we assign it a unique job number in the title field.

I have two additional content types, "Update team 1" and "Update team 2". These content types have different fields because the work being done is different, but they share a field called "pictures". Each content type also has an entity reference field to the "Construction Job" content type so we can tie them together.

I'm trying to create a dashboard type display with various different views so management can review jobs with all of the information in one location. I'd like to create a slideshow off all of the pictures uploaded from either of the two update content types, and contextually filter that slideshow so that only the images from the updates for that particular "Construction Job" are shown.

I can create a separate slideshow view for the pictures from each respective Update type, but then I'm left with two separate slideshows on the same page. I'm trying to combine this into one slideshow as we're looking at adding a third different Update content type.

I've tried adding a contextual filter for each entity reference field from the two independent content type, but that doesn't work. That is I can create a contextual filter for the entity reference field for the first content type, but the view then eliminates all images from the second update content type. When I add the second contextual filter, the view returns no results when I enter a value in the filter preview.

Answer 1

I haven't tried anything exactly like this buts it sounds like it is very possible if you mess with your AND, OR settings. Since they share the same field and that is what you are filtering on there should be no issue with that being your contextual filter.

Look at your regular filters under 'Filter Criteria'. Filter on the content type in an OR group using 'And/Or, Rearrange' (the arrow next to 'Add'). And it should work.

Answer 2

1. That error shouldn't be there so fixing that would be an option.

2. A likely Solution: Install https://www.drupal.org/project/views_argument_substitutions Add a "Global: Null" contextual filter and Provide default > Content ID. Then add regular OR filters using the replacement * * * ! 1 * * * (no spaces) for the entity reference fields.

Advice: Skip the multiple content types and use the conditional fields module to display different fields depending on a taxonomy field. So a taxonomy vocabulary with the terms Update Team 1, Update Team 2 etc.

If you don't want people to be able to choose, you can have an entity reference to a taxonomy and prepopulate and hide it with the url.

In views then, you filter by that term instead of by content type.

I trimmed like 10 content types down to one doing this. Much much easier to manage.

Answer 3

Thanks for the help.

I found this module, https://www.drupal.org/project/views_contextual_filters_or which worked perfectly.

I added two relationships, one for each entity reference in the respective Update types. I added two contextual filters filtering on the Content NID -> Provided in URL, each using one of the relationships I created.

With the module installed and activated, there is a check box under Advanced -> Query Settings. This checkbox modifies the query so all conditional filters are OR instead of AND.