WordPress Modification. 2 Search Widgets, searching different content - php

Question

I modified the Searchform.php to:
'search_id' => 'id', 'form_action' => ( 'http://local.amleo.com/newps/pulldata.php'
For the first Search widget, to go to a custom PHP page that displays results for something else.
The next Search Widget, I'd like to search the category "AML Hot Topics". Not sure how I can do that. Any ideas??
So you can visualize: http://i.imgur.com/HSd9EEZ.png
The 1st Search is the one I modified the Searchform.php for. The 2nd is the one I'm not sure about.
I'm no super-duper PHP wizard by any means, but I can follow directions pretty decently.

Answer 1

You don't need two target for search, instead you can do it using something like this
One form for newps
<form method="get" id="searchform" action="<?php echo esc_url( home_url() ); ?>">
<input type="text" value="<?php echo esc_attr( get_search_query() ); ?>" name="s" id="s" />
<input type="hidden" value="newps" name="key" />
<input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="<?php esc_attr_e('Search','Aggregate'); ?>" />
</form>
Another for AML
<form method="get" id="searchform" action="<?php echo esc_url( home_url() ); ?>">
<input type="text" value="<?php echo esc_attr( get_search_query() ); ?>" name="s" id="s" />
<input type="hidden" value="aml" name="key" />
<input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="<?php esc_attr_e('Search','Aggregate'); ?>" />
</form>
Create a search.php file in your theme's root folder, something like this
get_header();
// if you get `key` then it will be your custom search
// otherwise, default search will be performed
if(!empty($_GET['key'])) {
$key = $_GET['key']; // it will be either 'newps' or 'aml'
$search = $_GET['s'];
// modify the query using your $key and $search param
query_posts(...);
}
if (have_posts()) :
while(have_posts()): the_post();
// the_title() and more...
endwhile;
endif;
// reset the query if modified
if(!empty($key)) wp_reset_query();
get_sidebar();
get_footer();