multiple checkboxes used for search in php and mysql? - php

Question

This seems to be a common question as I have seen plenty of similar questions.
however, none of the answers actually pointing out how to do the selecting from mysql database and this is my issue as the moment.
basically I have a table which I store the search data in it.
it looks like this:
id blond darkHair busty curvy
---------------------------------------------------
1 blond busty
2 dark hair busty curvy
3 blond curvy
4 blond curvy
and I have a form with checkboxes like so:
<form action="search.php" method="post">
<input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="blond" />
<input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="dark hair" />
<input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="busty" />
<input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="curvy" />
</form>
and the PHP codes like this:
if(isset($_POST['keyword']))
{
$keyword = $_POST['keyword'];
foreach ($_POST['keyword'] as $keyword) {
$keywordarray[] = mysqli_real_escape_string($conx, $keyword);
}
$keywords = implode (",", $keywordarray);
$sql = "SELECT * FROM girlsStaff
WHERE (`blond` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR (`darkHair` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR (`busty` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR (`thin` LIKE '%".$keyword."%')" or die();
$query = mysqli_query($conx, $sql);
Now, apart from converting this code to PDO or prepared statement, there is another issue which I don't understand!
it doesn't matter how many chechboxes i select... it always returns the result for last checked/selected checkbox value from mysql database....
is there something that I am missing?
i also, did echo $keywords at the top of my page to see whats being sent to the page and I get the value of all the selected/checked boxes being sent correctly.. so I know the issue is not there.
any help or advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

You require to build query dynamically.
<?php
$clause = " WHERE ";//Initial clause
$sql="SELECT * FROM `girlsStaff` ";//Query stub
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
if(isset($_POST['keyword'])){
foreach($_POST['keyword'] as $c){
if(!empty($c)){
$sql .= $clause."`".$c."` LIKE '%{$c}%'";
$clause = " OR ";//Change to OR after 1st WHERE
}
}
}
echo $sql;//Remove after testing
}
?>
<form method="POST" action="#">
<form action="search.php" method="post">
Blond: <input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="blond" />
Dark Hair: <input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="dark hair" />
Busty : <input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="busty" />
Curvy; <input name="keyword[]" type="checkbox" value="curvy" />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
Sample queries
2 check boxes filled
SELECT * FROM `girlsStaff` WHERE `dark hair` LIKE '%dark hair%' OR `curvy` LIKE '%curvy%'
4 filled
SELECT * FROM `girlsStaff` WHERE `blond` LIKE '%blond%' OR `dark hair` LIKE '%dark hair%' OR `busty` LIKE '%busty%' OR `curvy` LIKE '%curvy%'

Answer 2

I think that small change from $keyword to $keywords will solve your problem :)
Now you are looking for items like your last value from $_POST['keyword'] array.
This line:
$sql = "SELECT * FROM girlsStaff WHERE (`blond` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR (`darkHair` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR (`busty` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR (`thin` LIKE '%".$keyword."%')" or die();
You should also use IN instead of LIKE if you have list aaa, bbb, ccc...., but then you will look for elements that have exactly same string in those fields.
After change to $keywords you will have:
... WHERE (`blond` LIKE '%".$keywords."%')
will also not work due to it will mean:
... WHERE (`blond` LIKE '%aaa,bbb,ccc%')
If you want to use like (if fields in DB only contain strings from array) then I suggest to build your query in foreach loop. Example:
$sql = "SELECT * FROM girlsStaff WHERE ".
foreach ($_POST['keyword'] as $keyword) {
$sql .= "(`blond` LIKE '%".$keyword."%') OR ";
}
//and here cut last four character " OR " part that will be unusefull

Answer 3

Typos:
$keywords = implode (",", $keywordarray);
^--- with an S
WHERE (`blond` LIKE '%".$keyword."%')
^--- without an S
You're stuffing in your original $_POST['keyword'] array. An array in string context is the literal word Array, so your query is actually executing as
WHERE (`blond` LIKE '%Array%')