Passing search results a session variable

drumdogg · 3 Jan 2013 at 10:03

Hi guys,

I have a simple search function in php which gets info from my database which works fine. This is a simple search which gets all data on specific products. I would then like to do an advanced search on the results from the first search. I was thinking of passing the first set of results as a session variable to another page and do more search from there. I have used the same method of passing variables which have worked before but it wont work for my search results.

Below is the code i have used to try and display my search results on a new page.

Code:

 <?php
   $_SESSION['result'];

echo "<table class='searchTable' border='1';  <tr>"; 
for($i = 0; $i < mysql_num_fields.$_SESSION['result']; $i++) {     
$field_info = mysql_fetch_field($_SESSION['result'], $i);     
echo "<th>{$field_info->name}</th>"; }   

// Print the data 

while($row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {     
echo "<tr>";     
	foreach($row as $_column) {         
		echo "<td>{$_column}</td>";     }     
		echo "</tr>"; 
		}  
		
		echo "</table>"; 
 
 ?>

ps i have used the session_start on required pages. Also i dont think when echoing out into the table i have done it right either with the session variables.

Here is the code for the first search i have done.

Code:

$query = ("SELECT * FROM ($table) WHERE upper($field) LIKE '%" . $find . "%'");
$result = mysql_query($query);

echo "<table class='searchTable' border='1';  <tr>"; 
for($i = 0; $i < mysql_num_fields($result); $i++) {     
$field_info = mysql_fetch_field($result, $i);     
echo "<th>{$field_info->name}</th>"; }  

// Print the data 

while($row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {     
echo "<tr>";     
	foreach($row as $_column) {         
		echo "<td>{$_column}</td>";     }     
		echo "</tr>"; 
		}  
		
		echo "</table>";

Can anyone help me with this please.

Thanks

drumdogg · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:04

Ok guys i have decided to go about this a different way. I have set up a few drop down boxes that will be used to define the search. It works fine if all search critera is set, but i would like to be able to leave a drop down menu blank and for the search to carry on the query with the information provided. As so far all fields has to have a item selected to be able to complete the search. Here is my code:

Code:

$query = ("SELECT * FROM ($table) WHERE upper($field) LIKE '%" . $find . "%' AND (Initials = '$Initials') AND (PassFail = '$PassFail')" );
$result = mysql_query($query);

echo "<table class='searchTable' border='1';  <tr>"; 
for($i = 0; $i < mysql_num_fields($result); $i++) {     
$field_info = mysql_fetch_field($result, $i);     
echo "<th>{$field_info->name}</th>"; }  

// Print the data 

while($row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {     
echo "<tr>";     
	foreach($row as $_column) {         
		echo "<td>{$_column}</td>";     }     
		echo "</tr>"; 
		}  
		
		echo "</table>";

Has anyone any ideas??

cheechm · 3 Jan 2013 at 16:40

Can you post the full code you have? Also what are the advanced search fields etc...?

drumdogg · 4 Jan 2013 at 08:09

Ok here is the search.php

Code:

<form name="search" method="post" action="search_submit.php">
 
 Product
 <Select NAME="table">
 <Option VALUE="limestone4mmtesting">Limestone 4mm</option>
 <Option VALUE="limestone2mmtesting">Limestone 2mm</option>
 <Option VALUE="limestone1mmtesting">Limestone 1mm</option>
 <Option VALUE="aglime">AG Lime</option>
 <Option VALUE="finewhiting">Limestone Fine Whiting</option>
 <Option VALUE="sandgrade2">Limestone Sand Grade 2</option>
 <Option VALUE="sandgrade1">Limestone Sand Grade 1</option>
 </Select>
 </br>
 </br>
 Search by Date: <input name="find" type="text" /> 
 <Select NAME="field">
 <option value="Date">Date</option>
 </Select>
 </br>
 </br>
 User
 <Select NAME="Initials">
 <Option VALUE="steven">Steven</option>
 <Option VALUE="test">Test</option>
 <Option>----------</option>
 </Select>
 </br>
 </br>
 Pass/Fail
 <Select NAME="PassFail">
 <Option VALUE="Pass">Pass</option>
 <Option VALUE="Fail">Fail</option>
 <Option>----------</option>
 </Select>  
	
 <input type="hidden" name="searching" value="yes" />
 <input type="submit" name="search" value="Search" />
 </form>

And here is search_submit.php

Code:

$query = ("SELECT * FROM ($table) WHERE upper($field) LIKE '%" . $find . "%' AND (Initials = '$Initials') AND (PassFail = '$PassFail')" );
$result = mysql_query($query);

echo "<table class='searchTable' border='1';  <tr>"; 
for($i = 0; $i < mysql_num_fields($result); $i++) {     
$field_info = mysql_fetch_field($result, $i);     
echo "<th>{$field_info->name}</th>"; }  

// Print the data 

while($row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {     
echo "<tr>";     
	foreach($row as $_column) {         
		echo "<td>{$_column}</td>";     }     
		echo "</tr>"; 
		}  
		
		echo "</table>"; 
 
 //This counts the number or results - and if there wasn't any it gives them a little message explaining that 
 $anymatches=mysql_num_rows($result); 
 if ($anymatches == 0) 
 { 
 echo "Sorry, but we can not find an entry to match your query<br><br>"; 
 } 
 
 //And we remind them what they searched for 
 echo "<b>Searched For:</b> " .$find;

So far im only searching with these four categories. The field to enter a date can be left blank and still carry on with the search which i would like the other drop down menus to do. p.s Would it be hard to do a date range picker instead of typing in a date??

Thanks

Stryda09 · 4 Jan 2013 at 08:32

The first problem I see is that you have no blank item in the first drop down so you can't 'not' select something.

I don't really understand what you are trying to do by looking at the code. You could construct a string to use as the mysql query using if statements to add each drop down to the query if a value has been selected.

You also don't seem to have copied all of the code as you are using $find in the query but $find is never set with $_POST.

drumdogg · 4 Jan 2013 at 08:55

I have tried setting the first drop down to ' ' (empty quotes) but didnt work so i took them out.

And i have set $find with $_POST its just at the top of the page and didnt want to post every bit of code.

I think the issue is in the Query - if a field is empty then dont search for it. But not sure how to do this!!

Stryda09 · 4 Jan 2013 at 21:41

Use ifs to create a string?

$QSBuild ="";
if ($find !=null){
$QSBuild += "SELECT * FROM ($table) WHERE upper($field) LIKE '%" . $find . "%'"
};
if ($initials !=null){
$QSBuild +="AND (Initials = '$Initials')"
}
$query = ($QSBuild);

Something like that maybe? There is probably something you can actually write in the sql query but I'm not that good.

drumdogg · 7 Jan 2013 at 10:16

Hi Stryda09, thanks for the help. Although im not sure if the += is the correct way to add to the string. Done a little research and think i have to use the CONCAT method.

Stryda09 · 7 Jan 2013 at 12:15

drumdogg said:
Hi Stryda09, thanks for the help. Although im not sure if the += is the correct way to add to the string. Done a little research and think i have to use the CONCAT method.

lol well I was making you do a bit more work than copy and paste

you can use "." to concatenate though.

PHP:

$QSBuild = $QSBuild."blah blah";

drumdogg · 7 Jan 2013 at 12:40

Yea think your way is better to be honest lol

Trying it your way now but not quite working yet.

drumdogg · 7 Jan 2013 at 13:46

lol well I was making you do a bit more work than copy and paste you can use "." to concatenate though.

Thanks again, have got it working now