Stuck On Coding A PHP Search

[akacj]

I am using a MySQL database with this php search .

How Do I do this below

ok...

If someone were to enter a persons name in the textbox, its should find the person ex. "I found this person : TOM "

If someone were to enter a telephone number , it should find the person with that telephone number ex. "Found Tel# [phone], Customers Name : TOM"

If someone were to enter an order number like "111111", then it should find that order and display all its information ex. " I Found Order# 111111 , Customers Name : TOM, Placed @ 1 PM"

I want to be able to search for different things. I have one textbox

I also do have two tables currently : Customers AND Orders

Thanks

[Weedpacket]

http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Psychic-Software.aspx
See also the comments, which offer some suggestions.

If you can distinguish different types of input by their formats (the OEIS's search box does this), then by formally describing those formats you can write tests that check if the input meets any of them and makes the appropriate search. Possibly involving regular expressions. In which case see Regex golf.

[Shrike]

SELECT FROM WHERE = . Only problem is you need the magic database that only exists in my head.

[RIGHT]* disclaimer: I am a nonsense.[/RIGHT]

[akacj]

I had a thought today that how I could make the system know what the person is searching for. I know order numbers will = 6, and telephones = 10 and names = alpha characters

If I simply ran an if statement. If textbox text = a value of 6 numbers, then A search for an order is to be done. It will run a particular MySQL query on the orders table and return the results

[Weedpacket]

That would do it, yes; obviously if all you have to go on is the content of the search field, then that's what you have to base your decision on.