searching mysql db with an array

[djcreedy]

On the front page, theres is say, 20 check boxes, each has its own ID, if the user selects say,.. 4 of these boxes, each box has a value with it, the value is a number which in the database is an id number for a category. so basically, if they select 4 boxes, i need to search the database and return fields where the categories ID is equal to those numbers.

How do you search using an array? i cant use 'for $i < 20 , $i++' etc, as ive written the results into a "display next 20 items" kind of thing, so using a loop wont work with that, i need a single query whch will return rows true to multiple numbers of an array.

Incase you were wondering, the way ive doen the check boxes is like this,

<input type=checkbox name='check1[$counter]'>
<input type=hidden name='id1[$counter]' value='$stuff2->id'>

So, i can go, in a loop, if check1[$i] == on, then print $id1[$i]
($stuff->id is the id number of the categories in the database, all these check boxes are generated from the database )

Thanks. Maybe im just not thinking straight or something. lol

[Pig]

Well, this part:

cant use 'for $i < 20 , $i++' etc, as ive written the results into a "display next 20 items" kind of thing

has nothing to do with how you search, or maybe I'm not understanding you. The quantity of results returned from a search is usually independant of the number of field searched. Anyway, if you want to search with variable options like that, use IN in your sql, and implode() on your array. So if your array is:
3 | 4 | 8 | 10
then explode it so it looks like:
'3', '4', '8', '10'

Then your query looks like:
SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE table_col IN ('3', '4', '8', '10')

[djcreedy]

ok, so like.

could i do.
select * from blah where blah IN ('$id1[1]','$id1[2]' etc.) ?

[Pig]

No. use implode(). I said explode() before, but I got them crossed in my mind. Look up implode in the manual.

[djcreedy]

Ok, ill look into it. thanks man.