php/mysql search from single to multiple categories?

[msin147]

I am having trouble with making an extension feature work as I want it to.
Currently it searches for listings in a database with a filter for one category at a time. I would like it to search multiple categories. I have added checkboxes to the php code with values for the catid's. How I have it is how I want the form to look but I cant link the checkboxes to the query. I would like to use an array to post the multiple values into the query but I do not know how. Or if there is a better way. I will post the php code and mysql query I think should be altered to make it happen. Can you all please tell me what you think and what my best next move might be.

Thank you all I would really appreciate any input at all.
Thanks

mysql code:

/* searching in categories */
		$cid = (int) sobi2Config::request($_REQUEST, "sobiCid", 0);
		setcookie("sobi2SearchCookie[cid]", $cid, 0, "/", $cookieDomain);

	if(!empty($sIDs) || !$searching) {
		if($cid && $cid !=0) {
			if(!is_array($sIDs) || empty($sIDs)) {
				$itids = null;
			}
			else {
				$ids = implode(" , ", $sIDs);
				$itids = "AND itemid IN ({$ids})";
			}
			$cids = array();
			$config->getChildCats($cid, $cids);
			$cids = implode(" , ", $cids);
			$query = "SELECT itemid FROM #__sobi2_cat_items_relations WHERE catid IN({$cids}) {$itids} ;";
			$database->setQuery($query);
			$sIDs = $database->loadResultArray();
			if ($database->getErrorNum()) {
				trigger_error("DB reports: ".$database->stderr(), E_USER_WARNING);
			}
		}
	}

php code:

<form id="sobiSearchFormContainer" accept-charset="<?php echo $iso[1];?>" action="<?php echo $config->liveSite; ?>/<?php echo $index;?>" method="get" name="sobiSearchFormContainer">
		<table class="sobi2eSearchForm">

    <tr>
			<td><?php if( $config->key("search", "search_box", true )) { echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_FOR; } ?></td>
			<td>
				<?php if( $config->key("search", "search_box", true )) { ?>
					<input name="sobi2Search" id="sobi2Search" class="inputbox" value="<?php echo $String; ?>" onclick="if (this.value == '<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_INPUTBOX; ?>') this.value = '';" onblur="if (this.value == '') this.value = '<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_INPUTBOX; ?>';"/>
				<?php } ?>
			</td>
			<td>
				<?php if( $config->key("search", "search_box", true )) { ?>
					<input type="submit" id="sobiSearchSubmitBt" name="search"  onmousedown="$('SobiSearchPage').value = 0" onkeydown="$('SobiSearchPage').value = 0" class="button" value="<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_H; ?>"/>
				<?php } ?>
			</td>
			<td id="sobi2eSearchEmptyCell">
			<?php
	    		if( ($f = $config->key( "search", "empty_cell_calback_function", false )) && function_exists( $f )) {
	    			$ecell = call_user_func( $f );
	    		}
	    		else {
	    			$ecell = "&nbsp;";
	    		}
	    		echo $ecell;
			?>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4">
			<?php if( $config->key("search", "phrase_any", true )) { ?>
				<input type="radio" <?php if($phrase == 'any' || $phrase != 'all' || $phrase != 'exact' ) echo "checked=\"checked\"" ?> name="searchphrase" id="searchphraseany" value="any"   />
				<label for="searchphraseany"><?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_ANY ?></label>
			<?php } ?>
			<?php if( $config->key("search", "phrase_all", true )) { ?>
				<input type="radio" <?php if($phrase == 'all') echo "checked=\"checked\"" ?> name="searchphrase" id="searchphraseall" value="all"  />
				<label for="searchphraseall"><?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_ALL ?></label>
			<?php } ?>
			<?php if( $config->key("search", "phrase_exact", true )) { ?>
				<input type="radio" <?php if($phrase == 'exact') echo "checked=\"checked\"" ?> name="searchphrase" id="searchphraseexact" value="exact"  />
				<label for="searchphraseexact"><?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_EXACT ?></label>
			<?php } ?>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4">
			<?php if( !$config->key("search", "search_box", true )) { ?>
				<input type="submit" id="sobiSearchSubmitBt" name="search"  onmousedown="$('SobiSearchPage').value = 0" onkeydown="$('SobiSearchPage').value = 0" class="button" value="<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_H; ?>"/>
			<?php } ?>
			<?php if($config->ajaxSearchUseSlider) { ?>
				<input type="button" id="sobiSearchFormExtOptToggle" class="button" name="sobiSearchFormExtOptToggle" value="<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_TOOGLE_EXTENDED; ?>"/>
			<?php } ?>
				<input type="button" id="sobiSearchFormReset" class="button" name="sobiSearchFormReset" title="<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_RESET_FORM_TITLE;?>" value="<?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_RESET_FORM; ?>" onclick="resetSobi2SearchForm()"/>
				<br/><br/>
			</td>
		</tr>
		</table>
		<div id="sobiSearchFormExtOpt">
		<table class="sobi2eSearchForm">

          <div>
        <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="6" > Additions & Remodels&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="21" > Appliances&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="24" > Builders (New Homes), Architects & Designers&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="26" > Carpentry & Cabinets&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="27" > Cleaning Services&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="28" > Concrete, Brick & Stone&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

     <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="4" > Electrical, Telephone & Computers&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="7" > Flooring&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="3" > General Contractors&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="10" > Handyman Services&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="13" > Heating & Cooling&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="16" > Home Construction&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

     <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="9" > Home Exterior&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="25" > Home Theater&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="18" > Interior Living&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="12" > Kitchens and Baths&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="19" > Landscape, Decks & Fences&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="22" > Moving & Storage&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

     <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="23" > Other Services&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="5" > Painting & Staining&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="8" > Plumbing&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="11" > Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs & Saunas&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

     <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="14" > Roofing, Siding & Gutters&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="17" > Walls & Ceilings&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp<br />

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="20" > Windows & Doors&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

    <input type="checkbox" name="Search[]" value="15" > Yard & Garden&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp


</div>

		<?php
			if(!$config->ajaxSearchCatsForFields) {
				if(count($dropListsArray)) {
					foreach($dropListsArray as $label => $dropList) {
						echo "<tr><td>{$label}</td><td colspan='2'>{$dropList}</td></tr>";
					}
				}
			}
		?>
		<?php if( $config->key("search", "cats", true )) { ?>
		<tr>
			<td style="vertical-align:top;"><?php echo _SOBI2_SEARCH_TOOGLE_CATS; ?></td>
			<td colspan='2'>
			<?php if($config->ajaxSearchUseSlider) { ?>
				<div id="sobiSearchFormCatsSelection" <?php if($config->ajaxSearchUseSlider) { ?> style="height:<?php echo $config->ajaxSearchCatsContHeight;?>px;" <?php } ?>>
			<?php } ?>
					<?php echo sobiAxSearch::axSearchCatChooser( $selectedCats, $cid ); ?>
			<?php if($config->ajaxSearchUseSlider) { ?>
				</div>
			<?php } ?>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<?php } ?>
		<?php
			if($config->ajaxSearchCatsForFields) {
				if(count($dropListsArray)) {
					foreach($dropListsArray as $label => $dropList) {
						echo "<tr><td>{$label}</td><td colspan='2'>{$dropList}</td></tr>";
					}
				}
			}
		?>
		</table>
		</div>
		<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_sobi2"/>
		<input type="hidden" name="no_html" value="1"/>
		<input type="hidden" name="sobi2Task" value="axSearch"/>
		<input type="hidden" name="sobiCid" id="sobiCid" value="<?php echo $cid; ?>"/>
		<input type="hidden" id="SobiSearchPage" name="SobiSearchPage" value="<?php echo $page;?>"/>
</form>
<div id="sobiSearchResponseContainer"></div>

output if i dump var before and after are:

array(1) { [0]=> int(6) } string(1) "6" //additions
array(1) { [0]=> int(21) } string(2) "21" //appliances
array(1) { [0]=> int(24) } string(2) "24" //builders
array(1) { [0]=> int(26) } string(2) "26" //carpentry
array(1) { [0]=> int(27) } string(2) "27" //cleaning
array(1) { [0]=> int(28) } string(2) "28" //concrete
array(1) { [0]=> int(15) } string(2) "15" //yard garden

the // and category name is included to tell what category I was searching when i got those values back. Just for info I am not searching in any child cats just top level cats if this helps at all.

MOD EDIT: 'CODE' tags replaced with 'PHP' tags. --bradgrafelman