php search

[subhomoy]

I am trying to search the database but I failed... It only works if the whole set of charecters that is been searched matches with the database information...

 

My code is follows...

<form method="post" action="">
<table>
<tr>
 <td>Enter the categories</td>
 <td><input type="text" name="search" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td></td>
 <td><input type="submit" name="submitbutton" value="Search"/></td>
</tr>
</table></form>
<?php
if(isset($_REQUEST['submitbutton'])){
$search= mysql_real_escape_string($_REQUEST['search']);
$sql= "SELECT * FROM categories WHERE categories_name='$search'";
$result= mysql_query($sql);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
if($search==$row['categories_name']){
 echo "successfull";
}else{
	 echo "Not found";
}
}
}
?>

 

I want to show the required item if any three charecters/letters matches with the database item name......

 

Thanks in advance...

[premiso]

You will want to use the MySQL LIKE comparison function. 

 

$sql= "SELECT * FROM categories WHERE categories_name LIKE '%{$search}%'";

 

The %'s are wild cards. 

[Psycho]

Hmm . . . I think you need to clarify this statement

I want to show the required item if any three charecters/letters matches with the database item name......

 

So, are you saying if the user enters "ABCD" you want to find any records that contain the letters "ABC", "ABD", "ACD" or "BCD"?

[stijn0713]

clarification of your objective would indeed be usefull: Should it be for example that any 3 consecutive chars that match is ok? say: stijn versus mystic

[QuickOldCar]

If you also want to return results that are only 3 characters, you need to edit the minimum word length in mysql.

 

In /etc/my.cnf or /etc/mysql/my.cnf under the [mysqld] section, have this line:

 

ft_min_word_len = 3

 

Then do a quick repair on the table

 

REPAIR TABLE table_name QUICK;

[subhomoy]

clarification of your objective would indeed be usefull: Should it be for example that any 3 consecutive chars that match is ok? say: stijn versus mystic

 

yes that is what i exactly want...

[Barand]

If you also want to return results that are only 3 characters, you need to edit the minimum word length in mysql.

 

 

That applies to FULLTEXT searches. Not relevant in this case.

[stijn0713]

my first thought, but i don't know whether performance-wise etc. it's a good idea:

 

1) chunk the searchable string is every possible 3-char-long substring, like:

 

$aSearch = 'Engels';
$zipSearch = str_split($aSearch);
$searchable = array();
if(count($zipSearch) > 3){
for ($i=0; $i < count($zipSearch)-2; $i++){
$searchable[] .= $zipSearch[$i].$zipSearch[$i+1].$zipSearch[$i+2];
}
}

 

2) apply the LIKE statement for every chuck.

 

 

$tableName = 'yourtable';
$sql = "SELECT * FROM myDB WHERE $tableName LIKE '%$searchable[0]%'";

foreach($searchable as $k => $searchChunk){
if($k != 0)
$sql .= " OR $tableName LIKE '%$searchChunk%'";

}

[subhomoy]

Thanks guysss.....