[SOLVED] Need possible way to shorten query

[simcoweb]

Due to some goofy code in a script my clients are using I have to create multiple category fields in the database instead of one category field. So, to do a search I have this query:

 

$sql = "SELECT * FROM amember_members WHERE is_lender='0' AND category1='$category' OR category2='$category' OR category3='$category' OR category4=''$category' OR category5='$category' AND loan_type='$loantype' AND loan_amount='$loanamount' ORDER BY top_3 LIMIT 10";

 

Basically all the OR statements are checking against the same $category variable to see if they match. I was wondering if there's a shorter way to write the OR statement, perhaps consolidate them... ?

[revraz]

use IN

[simcoweb]

Thanks. I can't find any syntax examples as the mysql site. Can you provide a snippet of the syntax structure for using the IN clause?

[MeTitus]

Why don't you use sql parameters?

 

MeTitus

[trq]

SELECT * FROM amember_members
WHERE is_lender='0'
AND '$category' IN(
 category2, category3, category4, category5
)
AND loan_type='$loantype'
AND loan_amount='$loanamount'
ORDER BY top_3 LIMIT 10;

[simcoweb]

Thanks thorpe