PHP MYSQL search same keyword with multiple tables - php

Question

I'm try to create a query which will search four different tables with one keyword to bring all the items which are list under that location.
I have four tables
- Country
- State
- County
- City
for e.g. UK -> England -> West Midlands -> Birmingham
When user types in west Midlands i wont to see all the items including items under birmingham, Walsall, wolverhampton
This what I came up with
$location = $_POST['location'];
$city_sql = " SELECT * FROM city";
$city_result = $db->query( $city_sql );
$new_array=array();
$i=0;
while ($fetch_sql = $db->fetch_object($city_result) ){
if ( strcmp(soundex(strtolower($fetch_sql->name)), soundex(strtolower($location))) == 0 ) {
$new_array[$i]['name'] = $fetch_sql->name;
$new_array[$i]['code'] = $fetch_sql->name;
$i++;
}
}
$k=0;
for ( $j=0; $j < sizeof($new_array); $j++ ){
$i = similar_text(strtolower($new_array[$j]['name']), strtolower($db->escape_value($location)), &$similarity_pst);
if( $i > $k && $i > 7 ){
$k = $i;
$city_db_name = $new_array[$j]['name'];
$city_code = $new_array[$j]['code'];
}
}
Please let me know if you have any idea.
PHP MYSQL search same keyword with multiple tables

Answer 1

You should use SQL features to get your data, not PHP's.
If I correctly understood, you want to get data from several tables and several columns.
Change your query like that:
SELECT
-- list of considered columns
col1,
col2,
col3
-- ...
FROM
City
JOIN
State ON State.state_id = City.state_id
JOIN
Country ON Country.country_id = State.country_id
WHERE
col1 LIKE '%keyword%'
OR col2 LIKE '%keyword%'
OR col3 LIKE '%keyword%'
-- ...
Like that, you will get columns you need containing your keyword. For example, if the table City contains {'Paris', 'paramatta', 'Porto'}, using the keyword Par, and the query SELECT name FROM city WHERE name LIKE '%Par%' will return you { 'Paris', 'paramatta' }
By the way, the link between countries, cities, etc. should be represented backward in your database: Country <- State <- City