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Creating a MYSQL query from results of splitting a string and using LIKE to match keywords in PHP

January 31, 2022

I am trying to split a string into an array and use these as keywords to make an sql query. I have made a sample of splitting the array and building the sql query. It sort of works but it is giving every table as a result but when I hard copy the built query it comes up with expected results.

This is what I have so far –

The string of keywords split into array and the query is built.

The db is called ‘clients_personal’ and the table is called ‘likes’

$my_search = "paper, glue, discount, bulk";
$new_search = preg_split("/,/", $my_search);
$mmsql = "SELECT * FROM clients_personal WHERE likes LIKE '%offers%'";

foreach ($new_search as $value) {
  $mmsql = $mmsql." OR likes LIKE '%$value%'";
}

No that results something like :

$mmsql="SELECT * FROM clients_personal WHERE likes LIKE '%offers%' OR likes LIKE '%paper%' OR likes LIKE '%glue%' OR likes LIKE '%discount%' OR likes LIKE '%bulk%'";

Now if I search like this, I get all the rows in the db?

$sql = "$mmsql";
$result = $conn->query($sql);

if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
  // output data of each row
  while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
    $id=$row["id"];

echo $id;
}
}

But if I query is as hard coded it gives predicted results?

$sql = "SELECT * FROM clients_personal WHERE likes LIKE '%offers%' OR likes LIKE '%paper%' OR likes LIKE '%glue%' OR likes LIKE '%discount%' OR likes LIKE '%bulk%'";
$result = $conn->query($sql);

I have a feeling its to do with quotes and i have tried removing them but no good? Any advice?
Also I an using this type of search as I found it on here.