What is wrong with this search query?? (Unknown column error)

[TheDust]

I've been trying to use the following query to run a search through php onto my MYSQL database:

($srch is put together as "%".$searchText."%" to look for the text anywhere within the values)

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"SELECT * FROM a_artists, a_albums, a_labels WHERE a_artists.artistID = a_albums.artistID AND a_albums.labelID = a_labels.labelID AND ((a_artists.artistName LIKE `$srch`) || (a_albums.albumTitle LIKE `$srch`)) ORDER BY albumTitle"
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Again, "$srch" is what the user has typed in the search box, with a "%" on each side. I get the following error:

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Unknown column '%Blue Dog%' in 'where clause'
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"Blue Dog" is what the user typed in the first place. It is not understanding that I'm trying to look for a substring here. Can anyone help me out here??

 

[danielhozac]

Change the ` to a ' or a ". Text encapsulated in `s means a table/column/database in MySQL. //Daniel

 

[TheDust]

Wow, how did I let that slide?? Arrghh... I need sleep... Thanks a lot man, just needed a pair of outside eyes to check it out, I guess.

 

[TheDust]

Actually I have one more question about using '%' in MYSQL. How come this returns results...

SELECT * FROM a_artists WHERE artistName = 'no doubt';

... and this doesn't..?

SELECT * FROM a_artists WHERE artistName = 'no doubt';
(note: I just added the '%' signs)

What gives?

 

[r937]

equality (=) returns that exact string, even if it contains wildcards

pattern matching (LIKE) uses the wildcards to determine where the pattern is that it's trying to match

make sense?