MySQL Query for Advanced Search multiple criteria - php

Question

I'm working through an advanced search query where users select checkboxes based on multiple criteria. I'm a beginner so I'm hoping I can find out if I'm on the right track. I'm aware the query is quite the mess.
Edit: I realized this needed to be two questions, so I've revised to be strictly a query question
Table data
Table ss_users
user_id first_name last_name admin_level user_approved
1 nick jones 0 1
2 johnny rocket 0 1
Table ss_user_profile_status
user_id photo_uploaded
1 1
2 1
Table ss_user_photos
photo_id user_id filename selected
1 1 photo_1.jpg 1
2 2 photo_2.jpg 0
3 2 photo_2.jpg 1
Table ss_general
user_id city state zip neighborhood
1 baltimore maryland 00125 hamsterdam
2 lakeland maine 11542 treemont
Table ss_languages
user_id french german italian spanish
1 0 1 0 1
2 0 0 1 1
Table ss_experience
user_id waldorf kumon homeschooling
1 0 1 0
2 0 0 1
My current results are all users, which should not be the case:
SELECT
ss_users.*, ss_user_profile_status.*, ss_user_photos.*, ss_general.*,
ss_languages.*, ss_experience.*, ss_users.user_id AS userID,
ss_user_profile_status.user_id, ss_languages.user_id AS langID
FROM
ss_users
JOIN
ss_user_profile_status ON ss_users.user_id = ss_user_profile_status.user_id
LEFT JOIN
ss_user_photos ON ss_users.user_id = ss_user_photos.user_id
AND
ss_user_photos.selected = 1
LEFT JOIN
ss_languages ON ss_users.user_id = ss_languages.user_id
LEFT JOIN
ss_general ON ss_users.user_id = ss_general.user_id
LEFT JOIN
ss_experience ON ss_users.user_id = ss_experience.user_id
WHERE
ss_users.user_id = ss_user_profile_status.user_id
AND
ss_general.neighborhood_select LIKE '%hamsterdam%'
OR
ss_languages.spanish = 1
OR
ss_experience.kumon = 1
AND
ss_users.sitter_approved = 1
AND
ss_users.admin_level = 0
GROUP BY
ss_users.user_id DESC
For the output I need to represent much of the users profile, that's why I'm selecting a lot of table data, as well as the extra joins.

Answer 1

For your big fat SQL selection
SELECT
ss_users.*, ss_user_profile_status.*, ss_user_photos.*, ss_general.*,
ss_languages.*, ss_experience.*, ss_users.user_id AS userID,
ss_user_profile_status.user_id, ss_languages.user_id AS langID
FROM ss_users
JOIN ss_user_profile_status ON ss_users.user_id = ss_user_profile_status.user_id
LEFT JOIN ss_user_photos ON ss_users.user_id = ss_user_photos.user_id AND ss_user_photos.selected = 1
LEFT JOIN ss_languages ON ss_users.user_id = ss_languages.user_id
LEFT JOIN ss_general ON ss_users.user_id = ss_general.user_id
LEFT JOIN ss_experience ON ss_users.user_id = ss_experience.user_id
WHERE
( ss_general.neighborhood_select LIKE '%hamsterdam%' OR ss_languages.spanish = 1 OR ss_experience.kumon = 1 ) AND ss_users.sitter_approved = 1 AND ss_users.admin_level = 0
I only edit few places like adding bracket around the OR and remove the first condition cause it seems redundant, and also remove the group by since it will left some data out