How do I do multiple searches in the same link?
At the moment I'm using:

PHP Code:

<li><a href="shop.php?category_id=5">Computers</a></li> 


But I would like to search more than one category, so as well as searching computers I'd also search printers (categories 5 and 8). To get the results I'm using

PHP Code:

$category_id=$_GET['category_id'];
$datecheck=date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' and category_id='$category_id' and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date"; 


I tried to change the url so that it said "shop.php?category_id=5+8" but that didn't work. I also tried to use explode, but it didn't work. I used:

PHP Code:

<li><a href="shop.php?category_id=5+8">Computers</a></li> 


and then for the shop.php page I put:

PHP Code:

$category_id=$_GET['category_id'];
$category_id = explode("+", $category_id);
$datecheck=date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' and category_id='$category_id' and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date"; 


at the top but it resulted in a blank page with no results - but I know both categories should have lots of results

Also how do I get it to show all the results regardless of the category id? Again I tried using "*" but that didn't work
Thanks

The problem is that after you call explode on $category_id, $category_id becomes an array.

So your sql statement is invalid at category_id='$category_id'

You will need to make a for loop to append the string "and category_id = '$category_id" based on the size of the category_id array

for($a=0;$a<count($category_id);$a++)
$category_sql .= "and category_id = $category_id[$a]";


$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' ".$category_sql." and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date";

Something like the above. I haven't tested or anything.

To get results you will need to do a mysql_query on your $feature_sql
and print_r to display what is returned.

I hope this helps.

Okay I think I must have misunderstood what you said. I used this:

PHP Code:

$category_id=$_GET['category_id']; 
$category_id = explode("+", $category_id); 
for($a=0;$a<count($category_id);$a++)
$category_sql .= "and category_id = $category_id[$a]";
$datecheck=date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' and category_id='$category_id' and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date limit 0, 10";
    $feature_res=mysql_query($feature_sql);
    $tot_count=mysql_num_rows($feature_res);
    $count=0;
    if($tot_count > 0)
    { 


but the page was then blank

add a space in front for $category_sql and make sure u insert it into you $feature_sql

PHP Code:

for($a=0;$a<count($category_id);$a++)
$category_sql .= " and category_id = $category_id[$a]";
$datecheck=date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' ".$category_sql." and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date limit 0, 10";
 $feature_res=mysql_query($feature_sql);
echo $feature_sql // may remove once sql statement is correct
echo mysql_num_rows($feature_res); // may remove once you're getting the results 


Ahh crap, the sql statement won't work because you want each category. You will need an OR instead of AND. I'll get back to u.

thank you

Try This,

PHP Code:

for($a=0;$a<count($category_id);$a++)
{
 $category_sql .= "category_id = $category_id[$a]";
 if($a!=(count($category_id)-1))
  $category_sql .= " or ";
 
}
$datecheck=date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' and  (".$category_sql.") and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date limit 0, 10";
$feature_res=mysql_query($feature_sql);
echo $feature_sql; // may remove once sql statement is correct
echo mysql_num_rows($feature_res); // may remove once you're getting the results 


I recommend you shorten your sql statement until you find the results you're looking for then add more to it. It will help u debug your issues.

You may take out the count in the for loop later on and place it in a variable also.

Sorry to be a pain, but that is returning no results at all, yet I checked that both of the category_id's had entires. I think that I'm doing something wrong somewhere, but am not sure what.

Originally Posted by sc_king

Try This,

PHP Code:

for($a=0;$a<count($category_id);$a++)
{
 $category_sql .= "category_id = $category_id[$a]";
 if($a!=(count($category_id)-1))
  $category_sql .= " or ";
 
}
$datecheck=date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
$feature_sql="select * from shop where status='sale' and  (".$category_sql.") and picture1!='' and (expire_date > '$datecheck') order by expire_date limit 0, 10";
$feature_res=mysql_query($feature_sql);
echo $feature_sql; // may remove once sql statement is correct
echo mysql_num_rows($feature_res); // may remove once you're getting the results 


I recommend you shorten your sql statement until you find the results you're looking for then add more to it. It will help u debug your issues.

You may take out the count in the for loop later on and place it in a variable also.

To include where sc_king left off...

PHP Code:

// If $category_id is an array, we first better clean it:
$category_id = array_map('intval', $category_id);
$feature_res = mysql_query("
  SELECT *
  FROM shop
  WHERE status = 'sale'
    AND picture != ''
    AND expire_date > '" . date('Y-m-d H:i:s') . "'
    AND category_id IN(" . implode(', ', $category_id) . ")
  ORDER BY expire_date
  LIMIT 0, 10
");
echo mysql_num_rows($feature_res); 


thanks, I'll give that a go