Search form for Mysql- dummy question

[Anon]

Please,
How to code input type form that user can search my database "whole word match or first three letter" and "any of words".
This below is a little code good just for simple search (no whole word and only exact phrase).

<?PHP
if ($field == "")
{
$field= '%';}

	$result = mysql_query ("SELECT  * from table WHERE column LIKE '%$field%' ");

}
else {
print "No records.";}
?>
THNX

[flipis]

For the HTML form, try to use some radios to know if the search is going to be full-word or word-like.

After, in your PHP script check wich one of the radios has been turned on.

The execute your queries like this:

For a whole word search:

"SELECT * FROM table WHERE field = 'fLIPIS'"

For a like word search:

"SELECT * FROM table WHERE field LIKE '%fLIPIS%'"

If you want to search for ANY of the words, you can use some of the str* functions.I don't remember the now, just woke up :-).

Look in http://www.php.net/

That way you cut the blank spaces and store each of the words into an element of an array. After that, you can use any element of the array as criteria for your SQL sentence.

Hope it helps

fLIPIS