Help a newbie please - Forms

[Anon]

Hi, I have a form with two fields on it where the second is optional. I am using the following to produce results:

$result = mysql_query("select * from table where field1 like '$field1' and field2 like '$field2%'");

However it only works when data is input into both fields. I know why I am going wrong (AND) but can't get my head round the correct way of doing it.

Please help!!!

Thanks

[Anon]

put OR instead of AND mate 🙂

dez

[Anon]

Thanks, I've tried that but then the results are too vague

[Anon]

Just don't write the "AND field2 like...." bit of the query if $field2 is empty.

[Anon]

if you are using single quotes inside a string surrounded by double quotes then the part inside the single quotes will not be parsed by php, hope you now what i mean.

try this:
$result = mysql_query("select * from table where field1 like '%".$field1."%' or field2 like '%".$field2."%'");

[Anon]

Grumbler wrote:

Just don't write the "AND field2 like...." bit of the query if $field2 is empty.

Sorry, how do I get the page to know if the field is empty and to change the code appropriately

Thanks

[Anon]

Thanks I've got it working using the following:

$result = mysql_query("select * from table where field1 like '$field1' and field2 like '%".$field2."%'");

I am now a very happy man :-)

[Anon]

if(isempty($field2)
{$query='SELECT.....';
}
else
{$query='SELECT..... AND ...';
}

[Anon]

Thanks