noob, search MySql

[jmaqu]

I'm a complete noob to writing my own php files, but what I need is to query mysql db, and output the results.

Example: search for "xxx", my reults page would show all entries that equal or being with "xxx".

On results page I would need to be able to say that "xxxxxx" is used, and mark it as used.

php 4.2.3
mysql 3.23
all local files

Please help.

[dp777]

Hello. First off mysql.com has an excellent documentation step by step section, which is how I learned all the basics. It sounds like in particular you need to look up the LIKE statement and using the wild card % It works a lot like
SELECT whatever
FROM table
WHERE columnName LIKE '%' . $search . '%'
HTH!

[GIJew]

Hey,

Here is a script that I found on zend.com

::SEARCH.PHP::

<table><tr><td>
<table>
<form method="post"  action="result.php"> 
<tr><td>Search By Keywords></td></tr>
<tr><td><input type="text" name="search" size="50"></td></tr>
<tr><td>Enter a keyword or phrase to search by.</td></tr>
<tr><td>
<select name="metode" multiple size="3">
<option value="Item_No" selected>Item Number</option>
<option value="Description">Description</option>
<option value="Location">Location</option>
</select>   

</td></tr>
<tr><td><input type="submit" value="Search"></td></tr>
</form>
</table>
</td></tr></table>

RESULT.PHP

<?php
$page_title = 'Inventory Database {-Search Page-}';
include ('./includes/header.php');
?>

<table id="bodytbl" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
  <tr>
	  <td valign="top">
<? 
$hostname = "localhost";                // Usually localhost. 
$username = "root";       // If you have no username, leave this space empty. 
$password = "password";            // The same applies here. 
$usertable = "your_table";              // This is the table you made. 
$dbName = "your_db";              // This is the main database you connect to. 
MYSQL_CONNECT($hostname, $username, $password) OR DIE("Unable to connect to database"); 
@mysql_select_db( "$dbName") or die( "Unable to select database"); 

//error message (not found message) 
$XX = '<center>No Record Found</center>'; 
$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM $usertable WHERE $metode LIKE '%$search%' LIMIT 0, 500 "); 
while ($row  =  mysql_fetch_array($query)) 
   { 
        $variable1=$row["Item_No"]; //1st option
        $variable2=$row["Description"]; //2nd option
        $variable3=$row["Location"];   //3rd option


echo ("$variable1");
echo ("$variable2");
echo ("$variable3");
echo '<br>';
   } 

//below this is the function for no record!! 
if (!$variable1) 
{ 
print ("$XX"); 
} 
//end 
?>

That was the skeloton (a little bit modified). It works just fine for a basic search using the %search% feature. I had to mess with a bit so you didn't get all the crap from my script. It should work though. Good luck.