Search field in a table with MySQL DB

[frist44]

I have a simple table displaying fields and filtering by date and status. I would like to have a search field that modifies the SQL query. How is that usually handled when the textbox is empty? I have it set when:

 

extract($_POST, EXTR_SKIP);

if (!$_POST){

$txtsearch = "%";

}

 

But when there is the txtsearch field is empty is returns nothing. ideas?

[redarrow]

some think like this you mean i think.

<?php
$sql="SELECT * FROM what_ever WHERE search_field LIKE '%$form_name_of_search_field%'";
$sql=mysql_query($sql)or die(mysql_error());
?>

 

[frist44]

Yeah that was it. I forgot to surround it with %.

 

Thanks.