PHP Search. Getting the hang of this, but could do with some pointer?

Butters

Butters

Butters

Permabanned
Joined
22 Apr 2007
Posts
1,805
Gents,

I want to be able to provide my users with a simple search box which allows them to type in and it goes off and searches the main fields of the table and displays the results.

Here is what I have so far.

Code: 
<html> 
<body>

 
<form name="form" action="" method="get">
  <input type="text" name="q" />
  <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Search" />
</form>
 
<?php

  // Get the search variable from URL
  $var = @$_GET['q'] ;
  $trimmed = trim($var); //trim whitespace from the stored variable

// rows to return
$limit=10; 

// check for an empty string and display a message.
if ($trimmed == "")
  {
  echo "<p>Please enter a search...</p>";
  exit;
  }

// check for a search parameter
if (!isset($var))
  {
  echo "<p>We dont seem to have a search parameter!</p>";
  exit;
  }

//connect to database 
mysql_connect("localhost","root","root"); //(host, username, password)

//specify database 
mysql_select_db("elite") or die("Unable to select database"); 

// SQL Query  
$query = "SELECT * FROM contacts WHERE surname LIKE \"%$trimmed%\"  
  ORDER BY id ASC"; 

 $numresults=mysql_query($query);
 $numrows=mysql_num_rows($numresults);


// determine if s has been passed to script, if not use 0
  if (empty($s)) {
  $s=0;
  }

// get results
  $query .= " limit $s,$limit";
  $result = mysql_query($query) or die("Couldn't execute query");

// display what the person searched for
echo "<p>You searched for: &quot;" . $var . "&quot;</p>";

// begin to show results set
echo "Results";
$count = 1 + $s ;

// display the results returned
  while ($row= mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
  $title = $row["surname"];

  echo "$count.)&nbsp;$title" ;
  $count++ ;
  }

$currPage = (($s/$limit) + 1);

//break before paging
  echo "<br />";

  // links to other results
  if ($s>=1) { // bypass PREV link if s is 0
  $prevs=($s-$limit);
  print "&nbsp;<a href=\"$PHP_SELF?s=$prevs&q=$var\">&lt;&lt; 
  Prev 10</a>&nbsp&nbsp;";
  }

// calculate number of pages needing links
  $pages=intval($numrows/$limit);

// $pages now contains int of pages needed unless there is a remainder from division

  if ($numrows%$limit) {
  // has remainder so add one page
  $pages++;
  }

// check to see if last page
  if (!((($s+$limit)/$limit)==$pages) && $pages!=1) {

  // last page so give NEXT link
  $news=$s+$limit;

  echo "&nbsp;<a href=\"$PHP_SELF?s=$news&q=$var\">Next 10 &gt;&gt;</a>";
  }

$a = $s + ($limit) ;
  if ($a > $numrows) { $a = $numrows ; }
  $b = $s + 1 ;
  echo "<p>Showing results $b to $a of $numrows</p>";
  
?>
 
</body>
</html>

As you can see, here I am searching by username. I just wanted to check it worked, and it does.

so firstly, I want to be able to search all fields, not just surname. Can I add to it like this?

Code: 
// SQL Query  
$query = "SELECT * FROM contacts WHERE surname, first_name, address, email LIKE \"%$trimmed%\"  
  ORDER BY id ASC";
??

Or do I have to make a query for each one?

Secondly, when the results are displayed, I'd like to make the results a clickable link to show the full result (all fields). Is that possible?

I have set it up so that results are limited to 10 and then spread across pages with next/back links although i'm not sure I'll ever need that.
 
Good job I'm not a bank then, as if my code was so slack that people could spoof my sites for phishing then I'll stick with the code I have ta ;)

Oh, and if you are 'the big cheese' you won't mind giving me some pointers as opposed to rubbishing it.

I was head of European IT for one of the largest multinational companies in the world. Didn't mean I could code.
 
Last edited:
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