How to make a search through php
Learn how to create a simple search function using PHP with a step-by-step example.
Searching with PHP
Searching is an integral part of web development, and so is the scripting language, PHP. It's possible to create a comprehensive search engine with PHP and a few lines of code. To make a search through PHP, a few basic steps need to be taken.Step 1: Create the Form
The first step in creating a search engine with PHP is to define a form which will allow users to input the search query. This can be done by writing an HTML form with a text input field and a submit button.
Step 2: Connect to the Database
The second step is to connect to the database where the search results will be stored. This can be done by using the PHP function,mysqli_connect()
. This function requires three parameters: the hostname, username, and password of the database.
$hostname = 'localhost';
$username = 'root';
$password = 'password';
$db = mysqli_connect($hostname, $username, $password);
if(!$db) {
die('Could not connect: ' . mysqli_error());
}
Step 3: Execute the Query
The third step is to execute the query to retrieve the search results. This can be done by using themysqli_query()
function. This function requires two parameters: the database connection and the query. The query should be a string and should include the LIKE
clause to search for the user's input.
$query = "SELECT * FROM products WHERE name LIKE '%".$_GET['q']."%'";
$result = mysqli_query($db, $query);
Step 4: Display the Results
The fourth step is to display the results. This can be done by looping through the results of the query and displaying them as a list.
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result)) {
echo ''.$row['name'].' ';
}
That's it! By following these four steps, you can create a simple search engine with PHP. Using the same basic principles, you can create more complex search engines with additional features.
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