Choose "Any" from a pull-down menu?

[Anon]

Let's say I have two pull-down menus in my form. One is "first_name" and the other is "last_name".

A user enters "Ryan" for the first name but enters NOTHING for the last name. Here is my query code so far:

$result = mysql_query ("SELECT * FROM bbcomp
WHERE first_name = '$first_name'
AND last name = '$last_name'
");

Right now it doesn't return ANY rows at all if no "last_name" is entered. Why doesn't it at least do the rows where "Ryan" matches the first name and ANYTHING is the last name? How do I make it a wildcard?

Please help! I am pulling my hair out!!

Thanks!
Ryan

[Anon]

First of all you will have to know about the "AND" clause. Your query is saying that "selct a row from table where first name should be "Ryan" and the second one should be BLANK". And if there is a row in your databse with first name "Ryan" and second name is "Decosta" then how it should return this row? It will search only where Second name is "BLANK".

for this kind of query you need to make it your sql query first the execute it. for example...

$add_sql='';
if($last_name!='')
{
$add_sql=" AND last name = '$last_name'";
}

$result = mysql_query ("SELECT * FROM bbcomp
WHERE first_name = '$first_name'
$add_sql");

This is just a trick
Enjoy
Tabish

[Anon]

lol....Is so cool...my frined.......