[SOLVED] find all instances

[wkilc]

If folks use this text form to search my table for a student named "chris":

 

<form name="myform" action="index.php" method="get">
<b>Search name:</b><br>
<input type="text" name="student" /> <input type="submit" value="Go!" />
</form>

 

Students are stored in the table as "lastname, firstname"

 

The result of the query will show:

christian, bobby

christensen, jane

 

but NOT:

jones, chris

How can I tweak the form so that it will find EVERY instance of "chris", whether it appears at the beginning, middle, or end of the name?

 

Thank you.

 

~Wayne

[.josh]

well first off I would make a one-time-only script to pull the "names" out, separate the first from the last names, and store them in separate columns.  But anyways...

 

$name = "chris";
$sql = "SELECT studentnamecolumnhere FROM tablenamehere WHERE studentnamecolumnhere LIKE '%$name%'";

 

[wkilc]

Thank you.

 

I don't understand something... $name has to be hard-coded as "chris"?

 

I attempted to simplify my form to make the question easier, but I see now that was a mistake.

 

I currently define $name as the value last passed the form, that way it will display the name the user just searched as the current value in the text field.

 

<?php
// If the form has been submitted...
if(isset($_GET['submit']))
{
// Set $name as the value of the name field in your form ($_GET just references the form)
$name = $_GET['name'];

}
?>
<form name="form" method="get">
<input type="text" name="name" value="<? echo $name; ?>" />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Search" />
</form>

 

How do I proceed from here?

 

Thanks again.

 

~Wayne

[MFHJoe]

$name doesn't have to be hardcoded as 'Chris'. You can do it the way you wanted to with $_GET.

 

$name = $_GET['name'];
$sql = "SELECT studentnamecolumnhere FROM tablenamehere WHERE studentnamecolumnhere LIKE '%$name%'";

[.josh]

no, $name does not have to be hardcoded as chris. I was giving an example variable so I could show how it's used in the query string. You can do whatever you want to to assign something to $name.  

 

p.s.- You should be using method="post" in your form and $_POST['name'].  It's (more) secure.

[wkilc]

Thank you.

 

Not sure where to implement it... this is still not working... no errors, but still behaving as before.

 

<?php
// If the form has been submitted...
if(isset($_POST['submit']))
{
// Set $name as the value of the name field in your form ($_POST just references the form)
$name = $_POST['name'];

}

$name = $_POST['name'];
$sql = "SELECT studentnamecolumnhere FROM tablenamehere WHERE studentnamecolumnhere LIKE '%$name%'";

?>

<form name="form" method="post">
<input type="text" name="name" value="<? echo $name; ?>" />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Search" />
</form>

 

I'm defining $name twice, that can't be right?

 

~Wayne

[mattal999]

<?php
// If the form has been submitted...
if(isset($_POST['submit']))
{
// Set $name as the value of the name field in your form ($_POST just references the form)
             $name = $_POST['name'];
             $sql = "SELECT studentnamecolumnhere FROM tablenamehere WHERE studentnamecolumnhere LIKE '%$name%'";

             // Do your mysql query to check through the table

}

?>

<form name="form" method="post">
<input type="text" name="name" value="<? echo $name; ?>" />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Search" />
</form>

[.josh]

Also, you need to replace studentnamecolumnhere and tablenamehere with your real column and table name... and I assume that you aren't showing your whole code, because I don't see anywhere where you're actually displaying any info (or even executing the query)

[DarkWater]

no, $name does not have to be hardcoded as chris. I was giving an example variable so I could show how it's used in the query string. You can do whatever you want to to assign something to $name.  

 

p.s.- You should be using method="post" in your form and $_POST['name'].  It's (more) secure.

 

Well, not necessarily more secure...just takes more than an idiot to tamper with.  But whatever. =P  Also, I'd personally do what Crayon Violent said originally and create a lastname and firstname column.  It's better because it creates much easier searches and such.

[.josh]

well that's why i put "more" in parentheses.

 

 

[DarkWater]

well that's why i put "more" in parentheses.

 

 

 

=P  Just clarifying.  Anyway, if you need help fixing your database to work with a new structure, I'll write a quick "database fixing script" for you.

[wkilc]

Thanks yet again...

 

I've changed the table values...

 

At the looking REALLY ignorant... I'm still missing something if I use mattall999's code, right?

 

<?php
// If the form has been submitted...
if(isset($_POST['submit']))
{
// Set $name as the value of the name field in your form ($_POST just references the form)
             $name = $_POST['name'];
             $sql = "SELECT studentname FROM mytablename WHERE studentname LIKE '%$name%'";

             // Do your mysql query to check through the table

}

?>

 

// Do your mysql query to check through the table

 

It's still behaving as before.  What might the query look like?

 

~Wayne

[wkilc]

In other words, I'm still getting this:

index.php?name=chris

Rather than this:

index.php?name=%chris%

 

~Wayne

[DarkWater]

You're not actually performing the query...  Do you know how to use MySQL from within PHP?

[.josh]

I was under the impression your script was already working to a certain degree; that is, you're getting some of the names you want, but not all...so...where is your mysql_query?

[.josh]

In other words, I'm still getting this:

index.php?name=chris

Rather than this:

index.php?name=%chris%

 

~Wayne

 

And you shouldn't be getting either one of those. That's the GET method. You've changed to the POST method.  So you shouldn't be getting any name='s in your url.  The %..% is added to your query string it's not passed from your form from any method.

[wkilc]

My bad!!! 

 

I just made something simple into a HUGE task.

 

Problem solved.

 

Thanks again for help and your patience.

 

~Wayne