Multiple checkbox search query fetching data from database in php - php

Question

I have a multiple checkbox search query which fetches data from database. Below is the code:
HTML code:
<form action="search.php" method="post">
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="Red" /> Red <br>
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="Yellow" /> Yellow <br>
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="Blue" /> Blue <br>
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="Green" /> Green <br>
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="Magenta" /> Magenta <br>
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="Black" /> Black <br>
<input type="checkbox" name="cloth_color[]" value="White" /> White <br>
<input type="submit" value="SEARCH">
</form>
PHP code:
<?php
$checkbox1 = $_POST['cloth_color'];
$chk="";
foreach($checkbox1 as $chk1)
{
$chk .= $chk1;
}
if($_POST['cloth_color'] != "") {
$query = "SELECT * FROM clothings WHERE colorofcloth = '$chk'";
$result = mysql_query($query);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$colorofcloth = $row['colorofcloth'];
echo 'The cloth with ' . $colorofcloth . ' color';
echo '<br>';
}
}
?>
Now if I choose one option from the search select box I get query. But if I select two or more color I dont get the query. A help will be really appreciated.
P.S. I do have multiple joins in Mysql query but this is the place I am stuck so presenting as clear question as possible here. Also I intent to convert mysql to mysqli before the launch of this code. Thank you :)

Answer 1

<?php
$checkbox1 = $_POST['cloth_color'];
$chk="";
foreach($checkbox1 as $chk1)
{
$chk .= $chk1 . ",";
}
if($_POST['cloth_color'] != "") {
$query = "SELECT * FROM clothings WHERE colorofcloth IN($chk)";
$result = mysql_query($query);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$colorofcloth = $row['colorofcloth'];
echo 'The cloth with ' . $colorofcloth . ' color';
echo '<br>';
}
?>
you can try this code which will use IN() of MySQL where you can pass multiple , separated values.
Hope this helps

Answer 2

Ok this is what i did. first of all got great help from #Dhaval and #Carlos as wasn't familiar with IN function in Mysql.
<?php
$checkbox1 = $_POST['cloth_color'];
$chk="";
foreach($checkbox1 as $chk1)
{
$chk .= "'" . $chk1."', ";
//This is important as it is not the number it is a word so it should have a single quote if in query we are using double quote or vice versa.
}
$check_e = rtrim($chk,", ");
//Although i havn't checked in real time if mysql query will take last comma or not but it is a good practice to remove the last comma by rtrim.
if($_POST['cloth_color'] != "") {
$query = "SELECT * FROM clothings WHERE colorofcloth IN($check_e)";
$result = mysql_query($query);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$colorofcloth = $row['colorofcloth'];
echo 'The cloth with ' . $colorofcloth . ' color';
echo '<br>';
}
?>

Answer 3

What you may want to use is the Mysql IN CLause.
For this example, i am assuming that you use the correct syntax for the elements inside de IN Clause.
The correct syntax would be all the values that you need separated by commas, if you select red and blue.
$chk = 'red, blue'
Using the 'IN Clause' this query
$query = "SELECT * FROM clothings WHERE colorofcloth = '$chk'";
should transform to this.
$query = "SELECT * FROM clothings WHERE colorofcloth IN ('$chk')";
I do not know much about PHP, but for a database stand it should work.
Let me know if it works.