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 the mysqli_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.

php