search script for MySQL database

[ian89]

I'm trying to create a search page that pulls data from a MySQL database with multiple tables and multiple columns. Connecting to the database and such are fine, but I'm at lost at how to make a workaround for my problem as I'm fairly new to this.

 

My problem is, the search query only shows the the first column of one table. How do I modify this existing code as such that it will search through other tables and other columns?

 

 

<?php



  $var = @$_GET['q'] ;
  $trimmed = trim($var); 

// rows to return
$limit=10; 

// check for an empty string and display a message.
if ($trimmed == "")
  {
  echo "<p>Please enter a search...</p>";
  exit;
  }

// check for a search parameter
if (!isset($var))
  {
  echo "<p>We dont seem to have a search parameter!</p>";
  exit;
  }

mysql_connect("localhost","username","password"); 

mysql_select_db("database_name") or die("Unable to select database"); 

$query = "select * from table_name where field like \"%$trimmed%\" order by field"; 

$numresults=mysql_query($query);
$numrows=mysql_num_rows($numresults);


  }

 

I guess a drop down box at the search form to choose which table to search for would be convenient, but I dunno how to do that yet.

 

Thanks a lot.

 

 

[smartin1017]

<?php

 

 

 

  $var = @$_GET['q'] ;

  $trimmed = trim($var);

 

// rows to return

$limit=10;

 

// check for an empty string and display a message.

if ($trimmed == "")

  {

  echo "<p>Please enter a search...</p>";

  exit;

  }

 

// check for a search parameter

if (!isset($var))

  {

  echo "<p>We dont seem to have a search parameter!</p>";

  exit;

  }

 

mysql_connect("localhost","username","password");

 

mysql_select_db("database_name") or die("Unable to select database");

 

 

 

 

//I dont think you gave enough info to solve this one but I have an idea to start....

 

//create an array with your tables

 

$table[0] = name-of-first-table;

$table[1] = name-of-first-table;

$table[2] = name-of-first-table;

$table[3] = name-of-first-table;

$table[4] = name-of-first-table;

//.....till you hit the number of table you have

 

 

//set the '10' in $i < 10 to the amount of tables you have

 

for ( $i = 0; $i <= 10; $i += 1) {

$c_table= $table[$i];

$query = "select * from $c_table where field like \"%$trimmed%\" order by field";

 

// this is where I have no idea whereyou want to go with this. This will roughly get you started.

//the for loop will run through the tables and search each one. then you can figure out if the search is a match,

// do what you want with it then if you find a match you can either go through the rest of the loops or break out

// by making $i= number_greater_then_tables.

 

Hopefully this gets you started,