Hello I have been trying to get a search feature to my site:

Search.php

PHP Code:

<form name="form" action="searching.php" method="get">
  <input type="text" name="q" />
  <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Search" />
</form> 


Searching.php

PHP Code:

<?php

  $var = @$_GET['q'] ;
  $trimmed = trim($var); 
    
        $sql = "SELECT * FROM adddb where nameof = '$trimmed' order by nameof";
            $result = mysql_query($sql, $conn) or die(mysql_error());
                while ($newArray = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
                     
                    $id = $newArray['id'];
                    $nameof = $newArray['nameof'];
                    $why = $newArray['why'];                    
                    $link = "view.php?id";                    
    
            echo "$nameof<br>$why";
        }        
?>

At the moment it only returns exact search words, i have tried % but not working, can any one help?

where nameof  LIKE '%$trimmed%'

Changes in red

That should probably have some explanation with it chrishirst.

The LIKE will tell mySQL to look through which ever fields you have asked the query to look through for any word contained in the quotes following the LIKE statement.

You'll also notice that chrishirst has put % operators at the beginning and end of the keyword, these are mySQLs wild cards, that means that (say the key word is "bob") then the query can find anything within the data such as bob, bobby, billybob, etc. That's because the wildcards are at either end, so as you can imagine if it was simply 'bob%' it would find bob, bobby but not billybob. You don't HAVE to use the wildcard, only if you want a more open, result yielding search.

Also, i'd advise that you check out the mySQL Manual on what it has to say about the LIKE statement. I would give you a link, but the mySQL manual is so bloody rubbish I can't actually find reference to it...