How to search a MySQL database for a specific string

Question

I am trying to set up a search feature on my site that will only return exact matches to keyword entered by the user. So if the user searches "dog" I don't want an article titled "Doggy Style" to appear in the search results (just an example I don't really have an article by that name). This of course does exactly that:

SELECT * FROM articles WHERE article_title LIKE '%$searchQuery%'

$searchQuery here is a PHP variable taken from the user's input form. So is there any way to return only exact matches?

How do you define "exact" matches, case-sensitive and space-separated (e.g. "the dog walked" but not "doggy biscuit" or "Dog Eat Dog World")? — Matthew Flaschen
– Matthew Flaschen, Commented Mar 21, 2010 at 3:00
why you are not using Full text Search ? dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/fulltext-search.html — Orhan Cinar
– Orhan Cinar, Commented Mar 21, 2010 at 3:00

Steve Obbayi · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-21 03:02:00Z

4

SELECT * FROM articles WHERE article_title = '$searchQuery'

would return an exact match. Notice the change from 'like' to '=' and notice the % signs have been removed.

Also be sure never to use direct input from a user form as input to search your MySQL database as it is not safe.

answered Mar 21, 2010 at 3:02

Steve Obbayi

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codaddict · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-21 03:01:57Z

1

For exact matches you can do:

SELECT * FROM articles WHERE article_title = '$searchQuery'

In MySql nonbinary string comparisons are case insensitive by default.

answered Mar 21, 2010 at 3:01

codaddict

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Kevin Crowell · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-21 03:01:58Z

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SELECT * FROM articles WHERE article_title = '$searchQuery'

answered Mar 21, 2010 at 3:01

Kevin Crowell

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MadeinAdana GzTh · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-17 21:24:37Z

-1

I think you should do like this, it works perfect.

SELECT * FROM articles WHERE article_title='$searchQuery'

execute(array('%'.$searchQuery.'%'))

answered Jun 17, 2018 at 21:24

MadeinAdana GzTh

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