if:else not working with my matrix tag pair

Question

Maybe I am a moron, but i just can't get this to work. Iv anyone can help me... please do so before i start hurting myself... :p I'm working with EE 2.5.5 and Matrix 2.5.2.

I've got a channel called "events". A matrix field assigned to "events" called "dates" (minimum rows = 0). "Dates" has 3 colums, a date column called 'date', a text column called 'city' and a P&T Switch called 'confirmed'.

Each entry has either no date (=no row), one date oder multiple dates. Each 'date' can of course be „in the future“ or „in the past“ since past events don't get deleted.

I'm trying to put out a list of all entries in this channel and ONE date (if conditions are met).

1. If there is no date specified (=no row) in the matrix field: "no date specified"
2. If there ARE entries for dates:
   case 1: in the future, i need the next upcoming date
   case 2: all dates in the past, i need "no date specified" again

I have tried everything i can think of but it seems i am not able to use if:else between my matrix tags...

My approach: Getting entries with no date is easy.

{if dates}
   do something...
{if:else} 
   no dates found
{/if}

So far, so good. But when i try to do

    {if dates}
       {dates search:date=">{current_time}" sort="asc" limit="1"}
          {if date} 
             {date format="%d.%m.%Y"} <!-- outputs next upcoming date if there is one -->
          {if:else} 
             no date specified <!-- THIS does not work. Should get triggered when there 
ARE rows in "dates" but all "date"-values are < current_time =  already happened,  -->
          {/if}
       {/dates}
    {if:else}
       no date specified <!-- no row -->
    {/if}

Any suggestions? I've spent 4 hours trying everything i could think of... still getting nowhere....

Answer 1

This will most likely be to do with parse order. Because you're using advanced conditionals they will be parsed late on and probably evaluated after Matrix conditionals are processed.

Give it a try with simple conditionals by just using {if} statements. So:

{if dates != ""}
   do something
{/if}
{if dates == ""}
   no dates found
{/if}

(Depending on what type of data is returned from dates you may need to experiment with your conditional checking. It could return a boolean for instance rather than a string)

The same applies to your nested if statement. Apply the same principle.

The above will be processed much earlier in the parse order and that will most likely make the difference.

Let me know what the outcome of that is.

Answer 2

The search: parameter mimics the EE search parameter. That means it only searches Text Input, Textarea, and Drop-down fields ([search: parameter])1

I see here that you're trying to search on a date type column. It sounds like that may be the core problem. If you run a few of these as plain tests against one of the supported fields, do you get more expected results?