SELECT QUERY using a "STRING" instead of ID

programming
1

I have been trying to do the following select statement:

SELECT * from <mytable> WHERE <myfield> = ‘$myvar’

$myvar is taken from the URL so: www.mydomain.com/index.php?myvar=example

My problem is I cannot select the data if <myfield> is a text field!!

If <myfield> was an integer, lets say ‘ID’ and I passed the ‘ID’ from the URL, e.g: -

www.mydomain.com/index.php?myvar=3…

Then all is fine!!

I think my problem is somehow the string is not recognised correctly, I have even tried to echo the value of the string and it looks exactly as I want it… I have also tried hard-coding the string I want into the query and that works, but not if I use the variable… I am stumped!!

Any words of wisdom?

2

example:


"SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = '$username'";

That should work for you.

3

I tried this and no success, this seems perfectly logical though, im gonna go home and try it again – maybe im going mad!

Give you the verdict later.

In the interim, has anyone come across this same problem?

4

depending on your server’s config. you might have to use superglobal arrays (i.e $_GET[‘myvar’] )…

5

try printing your SQL before executing to see whats being passed

6

*edit - my brain is on vacation please leave a message at the sound of the beep.

7

I assume it’s PHP since he used the dollar-sign variable notation

8

blink blink

have i been messing with PHP that long that it just seemed normal to have the $ there?

someone wake me up please, i’m having a nightmare

9

Haha, messing with php is a nightmare? :stuck_out_tongue:

10 

#SELECT * from <mytable> WHERE <myfield> = '$myvar'
#$myvar is taken from the URL so: www.mydomain.com/index.php?myvar=example
# than as Ahmed stated
#youre query should be
$query = "SELECT * from <mytable> WHERE <myfield>='".$_GET['myvar']."'";
$result = mysql_query($query);
echo $query; #debug

#if $_GET['myvar'] is not being returned when its some 
#textfields something else is wrong, show us the part
#that suppose to send that myvar $var :)
11

Thanks a lot guys!

Digitalosophy my mistake… you were right, Im sure I tried this last night. I must have been up too late and had red-eyes!

Ahmed, out of interest, what do you mean about: -
superglobal arrays (i.e $_GET[‘myvar’] )…

Where would I check my server settings for this, and what would I be looking for?

Im always interested in learning more for the future?

12

http://uredomein.com?action=something


echo $_GET['action']; #will print out something

NO extra settings needed for this. Only setting which you can change and should change is to turn of globals in php.ini

Than use $_POST[‘submit’] $_POST[‘form_var’] && GET[‘vars’] to fetch them, this way you are sure where they come from. php.net can tell u more .

Enjoy