display Search Results problem

[richrock]

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to do a keyword search linked to categories.  This gives the user a few options on how to display the results from a search.  The options are a

Text box, used to search by keywords and a Select list, generating the categories the items belong to.  When the user hits 'Submit', the results should be displayed depending on :

 

If they didn't type anything - generate an error statement.

If they typed a keyword, but did not select a category - generate results of all items regardless of category.

If they selected a category, but did not type a keyword - generate results of all items in selected category.

If they typed a keyword, and selected a category -generate results of all items in the category matching the keyword.

 

Now...  I don't have a problem with the mysql commands, but I'm tying myself up in knots trying to figure out how to get to the results I need...  I have worked out :

 

if (($_POST['lotkeyword'] == NULL) || ($_POST['keyword'] == 'sale')) { error message here }

 

(note - 'sale' is a default value in the select list, all the others are numbers (1003, 1004, 1005 etc) and :

 

} else {

if(($_POST['lotkeyword']) || ($_POST['keyword'])) { results of both searched terms here }

 

but can't get the code to display keyword results on their own ('lotkeyword') or categories ('keyword')...  Does anyone have any ideas how to do this, or have I confused everyone as well as myself (again)??

 

Rich