The Database Forum

**Sydpix** · 09:43 PM

**edit**

Ok... without dumping 30 g's on school, what would be the best way to learn database functions in php mysql

**chrishirst** · 06-17-2007, 06:37 PM

http://uk.php.net/manual/en/ref.mysql.php

**mike_bike_kite** · 06-17-2007, 08:16 PM

If you have a web account then check to see if they don't already offer you MySQL and PHP. If you can manage $30 then I bought a book "Beggining PHP MySQL from Novice to Pro" and it seemed to cover most things.

Mike

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-PHP-...2121794&sr=8-1

**Sydpix** · 06-17-2007, 10:30 PM

I already use PHP and MySql. I'm familiar with inserting Queries in phpMYAdmin and setting up mySql driven scripts.

I want to learn to write simple web applications to make my sites more dynamic.

Thanks for the pointers!

**mike_bike_kite** · 06-18-2007, 07:11 AM

Just create a file on your server called my_prog.php

Quote:

<HTML>
<BODY>
My first web program dated
<?
echo date( 'Y-m-d' );
?>
</BODY>
</HTML>

Then access that page via your browser and it should print out todays date. You can then expand the PHP code to your hearts content. You'll then want to look at HTML forms and passing parameters from the form to your PHP program.

Next you'll want to access your database from your PHP program and output the data so put in the following code but changing the user name, password, database and table name for your own.

Quote:

<HTML>
<BODY>
My first web program dated
<?
# connect to mysql server
mysql_pconnect('localhost','db_username','db_pwd') or die("Could not connect to db" );

# connect to database
mysql_select_db("db_name") or die('Could not connect to db' );

# run some sql
$sql = "select field_1, field_2 from MyTable";
$result=mysql_query( $sql ) or die( "Problem with $sql" );

# loop through results
while( list( $field_1, $field_2 ) = mysql_fetch_row($result) ) {
echo "$field_1 - $field_2<br>";
}
?>
</BODY>
</HTML>

Then it's just a question of how much effort you want to put in.

Mike

**Sydpix** · 06-18-2007, 09:31 PM

Ok, I think I have (suxcesfully)

connected to my database, I'm trying to perform a simple search of my database. I found a script actually, that was pre-written just to use as a guideline and learning purposes... so...

The script requires a query string obviously to include in the search script. Being the noob that I am could someone help me with this query?

// Build SQL Query
$query = "select * from the_table where 1st_field like \"%$trimmed%\"
order by 1st_field"; // EDIT HERE and specify your table and field names for the SQL query

The Table name is homes.

Here is a screen shot of the fields:

$query = "select * from the_table where 1st_field like \"%$trimmed%\"
order by 1st_field";

Should my query look like this?

$query = "select * from homes where id like \"%$trimmed%\"
order by id";

Thanks

**mike_bike_kite** · 06-19-2007, 03:48 AM

Quote:

We're all newbies at one point or another. Some of us still are!

with over 200 emails on this database forum perhaps it might now be worth seeing how to write basic select statements. I found 2 reasonable looking links for you which might help you learn how SQL works -

Mike

**Sydpix** · 09:46 PM

Ok, Thanks to your links I have officially connected to mySQL and executed my first search query.

I obviously have a long way to go but I have a couple simple questions:

This obviously just echo's Results if someone performs a search...

Code:

if ($searching =="yes")
{
echo "<h2>Results</h2><p>";

This displays "You forgot to enter a search term" if nothing is entered..

Code:

if ($find == "")
{
echo "<p>You forgot to enter a search term";
exit;
}

These are filters to strip SQL for HTML ?

Code:

$find = strtoupper($find);
$find = strip_tags($find);
$find = trim ($find);

This query give me the same 21 results no matter what I type?

Code:

$data = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM homes WHERE upper($field) LIKE'%$pr%' ");

Any suggestions on a simple work around that may narrow the search results based on zip codes? or numbers? I have 21 fields with different zip codes and addresses.

Should I change upper($field) LIKE'%$pr%' to something more defined?

...

**mike_bike_kite** · 06-20-2007, 04:08 AM

Code:

 
$data = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM homes 
WHERE upper(postal_code) LIKE '%$find%' ");

Assuming $find holds the value you are looking for and you just want to search postal_code - you were matching against some variable called $pr.

Code:

 
 
$data = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM homes WHERE upper($field) LIKE '%$find%' ");

Allows you to pick which field you want to match against. I'm guessing there is a pull down of your field names on screen - your original query would fail if this value wasn't valid.

Code:

 
$data = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM homes 
WHERE upper(postal_code) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(type_e) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(type_f) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(short_description_e) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(short_description_f) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(description_e) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(description_f) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(location_e) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(location_f) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(address_e) LIKE '%$find%' 
   or upper(address_f) LIKE '%$find%' ");

Will hopefully match against any field in your table so you won't need your pull down of field names.

Mike