E9 - Enterprise Search

We’ve recently started using Enterprise Search.  I’m trying to work around two issues and am looking for any ideas.  Thanks

 

1.        Added a query to display Misc Shipment records.  Records are returned by ES just fine unless I include the Ship Date field.  It then throws “Unable to cast object of System.DateTime to type System.String”.  I tried adding a calculated field to check for nulls and either display the date as a string or a blank string for nulls.  No help.

2.       We store Order Numbers in FSContHd.Number03.  It’s a long story as to why.  Since Number03 displayed as a decimal and didn’t have the context menu ability to open the order window, I set it as a “Like” OrderHed.OrderNum.  It didn’t work and throws an error (“Unable to cast object of System.Decimal to type System.String”) when trying to look at a FSContHd result within the search.  Even after updating the BAQ, deleting the index and re-creating, the Number03 column is immediately getting set as a Like OrderNum field within the ES search index properties for that query.  Anyone know how I can clear this like value?