search form with multiple inputs, how do i ignore the empty fields?

I'm creating this search script, and the search form has a few fields (like name, address and date of birth).

Only one (or more) can be entered, how do I ignore the fields that are not filled in ($_REQUEST['name'] = "") in the mysql query??

I've been trying things for hours now, and just don't know it

 

if (!empty($bla)) {
   // do stuff
}

PHP:

 

yes i know that.. but here's my problem. I have these fields

first name
last name
address
age

someone enters age and first name, and someone else enters last name and address.

I need to alter the mysql query that the empty strings are ignored..

if i do it your way, i will have to do it this way:

if (!empty($name)) {
mysql query for last name, address and age
}
if (!empty($lastname)) {
mysql query for name, address and age
}
if (!empty($age)) {
mysql query for name, last name, address
}
if (!empty($address)) {
mysql query for name, last name and age
}

that's only for when there's only one blank field. then i need all combinations for two blank fields, three blank fields, etc (the real form has around 8 fields, so that would be thousands of queries..)

 

You just make it modular.

Something like this

$query = '';
if (!empty($name)) {
   $query .= ' AND name = \'blablabla\'';
}
if (!empty($address)) {
   $query .= ' AND address = \'blablabla\'';
}

mysql_query('SELECT blablabla FROM blabla WHERE 1 = 1 AND '. $query);

PHP:

 

Is it a search query that you're doing? I'm assuming so...

You could always do something like...

$query_array = array();
if ( ! empty( $name ) ) {
    $query_array[] = 'name LIKE ' . $name;
}
if ( ! empty( $lastname ) ) {
    $query_array[] = 'lastname LIKE ' . $lastname;
}

... etc ...

$query_where = implode( ' AND ', $query_array );
$query = 'SELECT FROM blah WHERE ' . $query_where;

PHP:

Hopefully that makes sense...

 

My approach is so much easier.

 

Icheb: I would probably have to agree with you... we were obviously typing at the same time as there is no way I would type my own reply after seeing yours.

Oh well, that's life I guess!

 

And here I thought you would have been able to read the thread and post a reply within 2 minutes or less. I guess I was wrong.

Oh well, that's life I guess!

 

yes when i woke up this morning i thought of exact the same solution icheb

Thank you both a lot

 

okay i have another problem.. how do i change

$query .= ' AND address = \'blablabla\'';

so that blablabla becomes a string...?? I have to remove the quotes, otherwise the output becomes $name, but when i do that, the output becomes

john doe

instead of

'john doe'

EDIT: never mind, i have changed it... i had to change the string itself into "$name"

 

@Icheb: I can't quite tell from your post, but I hope you are being sarcastic... when I open all unread threads in separate tabs before even reading the first one, there are times where I don't even get to reading the thread until 15 minutes after opening it!