Select sql from an array

[brooksh]

How can this be accomplished? I know the code below is completely unrealistic, but how can it be done?

 

SELECT DISTINCT City FROM listings WHERE area = 'array($_POST[area])' order by City

[darkfreaks]

<?php
$array= array($_POST['area']);
$sql="SELECT DISTINCT City FROM listings WHERE area=$array ORDER BY City";
mysql_query($sql);?>

[Barand]

If $_POST['area'] is an array of areas eg array('x', 'y', 'z') then

 

<?php
$areas = join ("','", $_POST['area']);
$sql="SELECT DISTINCT City FROM listings WHERE area IN ('$areas')";

[darkfreaks]

<?php
$areas = join ("','", $_POST['area']);
$nested_array=serialize($areas);
$make_safe_query=mysql_real_escape_string($nested_array);
$sql="SELECT DISTINCT City FROM listings WHERE area IN ('$areas')";?>

 

 

adding onto it.

[Barand]

Why serialize a string?

[brooksh]

I am running php 4.3 and I don't know if that's why I'm getting this error.

 

Warning: join() [function.join]: Bad arguments.

[darkfreaks]

<?php
$areas = array( $_POST['area']);
$comma_seperated=implode(",",$areas);
$nested_array=serialize($comma_seperated);
$make_safe_query=mysql_real_escape_string($nested_array);
$sql="SELECT DISTINCT City FROM listings WHERE area IN ('$make_safe_query')";

mysql_query($sql);
?>