PHP Search Script Enhancement - php

Question

I have a website that has a built in search function. It allows the users to search for keywords from within the main page header. When a user searches any keyword, the result is always:
There are no results matching your query.
In order to find any item, the user must go to the advanced search options and enter the keyword in the search box, select the checkbox for "Search item title and description" and select "Both" from the drop down box for "Listed In".
I cannot figure out how to automatically set the main page search box to search each of these options.
Below is the code that I have for the search function. Any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED:
<?php
session_start();
define ('IN_SITE', 1);
include_once ('includes/global.php');
include_once ('includes/class_formchecker.php');
include_once ('includes/class_custom_field.php');
include_once ('global_header.php');
$option = $db->rem_special_chars($_REQUEST['option']);
$option = (empty($option)) ? 'auction_search' : $option;
$template->set('option', $option);
$item_details = $db->rem_special_chars_array($_POST);
$template->set('item_details', $item_details);
$header_search_page = header5(GMSG_ADVANCED_SEARCH);
$template->set('header_search_page', $header_search_page);
if ($_REQUEST['search_empty'] == 1)
{
$template->set('no_results_message', '<p align="center" class="errormessage">' . MSG_NO_RESULTS_QUERY . '</p>');
}
(string) $search_options_menu = null;
$search_options_menu .= display_link(process_link('search', array('option' => 'auction_search')), MSG_AUCTION_SEARCH, (($option = 'auction_search') ? false : true)) . ' | ';
$search_options_menu .= display_link(process_link('search', array('option' => 'seller_search')), MSG_SELLER_SEARCH, (($option = 'seller_search') ? false : true)) . ' | ';
$search_options_menu .= display_link(process_link('search', array('option' => 'buyer_search')), MSG_BUYER_SEARCH, (($option = 'buyer_search') ? false : true));
if ($setts['enable_stores'])
$template->set('search_options_menu', $search_options_menu);
switch ($option)
{
case 'auction_search':
$search_options_title = MSG_AUCTION_SEARCH;
$custom_fld = new custom_field();
$custom_fld->new_table = false;
$custom_fld->field_colspan = 2;
$custom_fld->box_search = 1;
$custom_sections_table = $custom_fld->display_sections($item_details, 'auction', false, 1, 0);
$template->set('custom_sections_table', $custom_sections_table);
$tax = new tax();
$template->set('country_dropdown', $tax->countries_dropdown('country', $item_details['country'], null, '', true));
//$template->set('state_box', $tax->states_box('state', $item_details['state'], $item_details['country']));
break;
case 'seller_search':
$search_options_title = MSG_SELLER_SEARCH;
break;
case 'buyer_search':
$search_options_title = MSG_BUYER_SEARCH;
break;
case 'store_search':
$search_options_title = MSG_STORE_SEARCH;
break;
}
$template->set('search_options_title', $search_options_title);
$template_output .= $template->process('search.tpl.php');
include_once ('global_footer.php');
echo $template_output;
?>

Answer 1

This issue after doing research was the result in a standard setting for MySQL. Minimum search length had to be longer than 3 characters. A search length of 3 characters or less yielded no search results.