[mv] field matching/searching against an SQL database

[Fraser Campbell <fraser@starnix.com>]

******    message to minivend-users from Fraser Campbell <fraser@starnix.com>     ******

Hi everyone,

I am trying to design a search form that searches 4 database fields.  The
products database is in MySQL.  Minivend version is 3.14-5.  Here are the
basic fields for my search form

<FORM ACTION="[process-target main]" METHOD=POST>
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_doit" VALUE="search">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_coordinate" VALUE="yes">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_substring_match" VALUE="yes">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_search_field" VALUE="code">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_substring_match" VALUE="yes">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_search_field" VALUE="description">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_substring_match" VALUE="yes">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_search_field" VALUE="category">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_substring_match" VALUE="no">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_search_field" VALUE="mfg">
        <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="mv_searchtype" VALUE="sql">
	...
</FORM>

I have 4 mv_searchspec fields.  The first 2 are text fields, the last 2 are
select fields.

The manual states that "Even if the user leaves one blank, the search will
work." ... I have found that this is not true.  I have tried using
mv_search_map and found that then the search becomes 100% broken instead of
only 50% broken.  Can individual fields be matched in a query to an SQL
database or is this functionality not available in minivend 3.14?  At the
end of this letter, I give more details on my problem if you need it ...
thanks for any insight!

Fraser


If I enter/select values for all 4 fields no problem, if I do not
enter/select values for every field then unpredictable things happen.

1. If I enter or select values only for one of the middle two
mv_searchspec's then the search fails ... it finds every single part based
on %% wildcard match on every field.  However, if I select only the last
mv_searchspec (mfg) the sql query is correct.

2. If I enter a value for the only first mv_searchspec (code), then that
value is used in the query against every field ... not exactly the
behaviour I want (although it might be good enough in this case).

3. If I enter values in the first two mv_searchspec fields (code and
description) then the first value (given in code) is used in the query
against every field (same as in point 2 above).

4. Enter a value for the first and last mv_searchspec (skipping middle
two) results in a correct query.

5 ... I'll stop now.  Basically what I am doing does not work in many
instances.  The manual
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