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WordPress – My Search function isn't working when I search by name

so I’ve tried creating a WordPress plugin that searches data in a different MySQL database and it works when I search by license number but when I search for any kind of name I get sent to a "Page not found" page and I can’t figure out how to fix it.

Here’s the plugin:

    <div class="search">
        <form class="search-form" method="get" action="">
            <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Enter Name">
            <input type="text" name="license_number" placeholder="Enter License Number">
            <input type="submit" value="Search">
        </form>

        <?php
        if (isset($_GET['name']) || isset($_GET['license_number'])) {
            $name = sanitize_text_field($_GET['name']);
            $license_number = sanitize_text_field($_GET['license_number']);

            

            // Construct the search query
            $conditions = [];
            if (!empty($name)) {
                $conditions[] = $second_db->prepare("name LIKE %s", '%' . $wpdb->esc_like($name) . '%');
            }
            
            if (!empty($license_number)) {
                $conditions[] = $second_db->prepare("license_number LIKE %s", '%' . $wpdb->esc_like($license_number) . '%');
            }
            if (empty($conditions)) {
                echo '<p>Please enter a search query.</p>';
                return ob_get_clean();
            }
            $where_clause = implode(' OR ', $conditions);

            // Debug: output the constructed query
            error_log("Constructed query: SELECT * FROM licenses WHERE {$where_clause}");

            // Query the second database for license results
            $license_results = $second_db->get_results("SELECT * FROM licenses WHERE {$where_clause}");

            // Debug: output the number of license results found
            error_log("Number of license results: " . count($license_results));

            // If searching by license number, use the name from the license result to search applications and courses
            if (!empty($license_number) && !empty($license_results)) {
                $name = $license_results[0]->name;
            }

            // Query the second database for application and course results using the name
            $application_results = $second_db->get_results($second_db->prepare("SELECT * FROM applications WHERE name LIKE %s", '%' . $wpdb->esc_like($name) . '%'));
            $course_results = $second_db->get_results($second_db->prepare("SELECT * FROM courses WHERE name LIKE %s", '%' . $wpdb->esc_like($name) . '%'));

            // Debug: output the number of application and course results found
            error_log("Number of application results: " . count($application_results));
            error_log("Number of course results: " . count($course_results));

This is what the results should look like:
results

This is what I get when I search by any kind of name:

page not found

The field in the database is: "name" and the name format in the field is: "LastName, FirstName Middle Initial(if available)" or "Doe, John J".

For the URL with license results, it is: https://domain.tld/plugin/?name=&license_number=12520
Here are some examples of the URL when searching by name: https://domain.tld/plugin/?name=LAST+MICHAEL+R&license_number=
OR https://domain.tld/plugin/?name=bob&license_number=
OR OR https://domain.tld/plugin/?name=bob+lee&license_number=

My error log is inconsistent with updating so that hasn’t been helpful.

Thank you for any help!

Tags:

2

Answers


  1. 0

    i don’t know why your plugin not work, but you can try to change get param in your url with something else, maybe userName, or person, or fullName. then change your query with double quote in your field name, i worry about word "name" make error in your sql query.

    select * from yourtable where "name" like '%Jon%'
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  2. 0

    I think it’s because of missed quotes of text value. Try to change your condition like this

    $conditions[] = $second_db->prepare("name LIKE '%s' ", '%' . $wpdb->esc_like($name) . '%');

    Also, you could dump the raw query string and run it in the database console directly to see the output.

    echo $wpdb->last_query; die;

    Also, if you are on a development server try to switch on the error logs, I guess you have an exception redirect in your code routine.

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