Re: search through one/several tables

[mel list_php]

Unfortunatly I can't use the alias txt in the where clause:
Standard SQL doesn't allow you to refer to a column alias in a WHERE clause. 
This is because when the WHERE code is executed, the column value may not 
yet be determined. For example, the following query is illegal:

SELECT id, COUNT(*) AS cnt FROM tbl_name WHERE cnt > 0 GROUP BY id;
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/problems-with-alias.html

From: Peter Brawley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
CC: mel list_php <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,  mysql@lists.mysql.com
Subject: Re: search through one/several tables
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 10:46:10 -0600
Shawn, Mel
>I am not aware of any SQL dialect that supports a query of the kind you
>are asking about. If there were such a query it _might_ look something
>like this
>SELECT <column list>
>FROM <table reference>
>WHERE ANY_COLUMN(<column name list>) LIKE <search parameter>
Right, but Mel can emulate your ANY_COLUMN with something like
 SELECT CONCAT( col1, ..., colN ) AS txt
 FROM tbl
 WHERE txt LIKE '%foobar%';
PB
-----
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I am not aware of any SQL dialect that supports a query of the kind you 
are asking about. If there were such a query it _might_ look something 
like this

SELECT <column list>
FROM <table reference>
WHERE ANY_COLUMN(<column name list>) LIKE <search parameter>
but like I said, I can't think of any SQL server that has a function like 
ANY_COLUMN() or its equivalent. Sorry! I think you will need to do a 
column-by-column comparison (especially if you want to use LIKE or RLIKE).

Shawn Green
Database Administrator
Unimin Corporation - Spruce Pine
"mel list_php" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on 03/23/2005 11:08:56 AM:

I can find the data, I was just wondering if mysql provides a kind of 
generic scan of a whole table.

I could provide an advanced search, and ask the user what kind of info
he
wants to retrieve but I first would like a quickSearch that may retrieve
too
much info but is more intuitive.
As I said, my first idea was to create a script to go through all my
tables
and scan the relevant columns (I don't want to scan the id keys for 
example), but I was just wondering if given a table it is possible to

use
mysql to scan all its columns:
*************************** 1. row ***************************
      Table: dbLab
Create Table: CREATE TABLE `dbLab` (
 `labId` tinyint(5) NOT NULL auto_increment,
 `name` varchar(50) NOT NULL default '',
 `fullName` varchar(250) default NULL,
 `adress` varchar(150) NOT NULL default '',
 `city` varchar(50) NOT NULL default '',
 `country` varchar(50) NOT NULL default '',
 `url` varchar(100) NOT NULL default '',
 PRIMARY KEY  (`labId`)
) TYPE=MyISAM COMMENT='list of partners'
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
If I search for "Smith" I want to retrieve the name Smith, the fullname 
Smith, the address or city containing Smith....basically look for the

word
in all the columns, a shortener for select * from dbLab where name 
like'%Smith%' or fullName like '%Smith%' or adress like '%Smith%'.....

But maybe this is not a good way to do things?
Melanie


From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "mel list_php" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED],mysql@lists.mysql.com
Subject: Re: search through one/several tables
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 09:55:23 -0500
"mel list_php" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on 03/23/2005 06:00:08
AM:

Unfortunatly they are not, I have something like 30 tables, with I
would

say

10 to 15 fields per table.
The number of row per table is quite low, i think it won't exceed
500-1000/table. But I may sometimes have to search into dna
sequences

(around 5000 atcg characters in any order), so that is quite heavy.

Maybe

for that field a fulltext index would be helpful?
Thanks for your help,
Melanie


From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
CC: mysql@lists.mysql.com
Subject: Re: search through one/several tables
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 10:44:53 +0000
"mel list_php" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on 23/03/2005
10:14:07:

Hi list,
I would like to search for something into one or several tables.
My first idea was to retrieve the tables' names, then for each
of

them

retrieve the columns' name and have a look in each of this
column.

Is there a more elegant (fast) way to do that with mysql?
Somebody has some tips/doc where I could look for search
engines?My

problem

is that I don't have one big table with all the data but several

little

ones

with few fields, so I don't think solutions like Lucene could
work.

If your tables are all identical, which it sounds like, you want to

create

a Merge Table: see
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/merge-storage-engine.html
       Alec
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I agree in priciple with Alec. Good database design can and should
promote

good data retreival. However, it sounds from your original question
that

you need to find all records on any table with some bit of information
in

any column.  That problem is just too generic to provide specific help
for.
If you can't find certain pieces of data, it _may_ be that you haven't
organized your data to the point that there is a place for everything
and

everything is in its place. There is always (except for the most
trivial

cases) more than one way to organize any set of data, however different
schemas offer different advantages (size, speed, ease of use, etc).
Which

one will work best for you depends on the nature of your data, your
database server's limitations (hardware, software, and operating system
limits), and what you need to get from the data once it's organized.
Some

schemas make it harder to add or update data but make finding it a
breeze;

others are just the opposite. This sounds like a good time to honestly
review your current schema to make sure it's going to meet your usage
needs not just your data storage requirements.  Ask the people who need
to

use the data you are storing what they need to find and adjust your
schemas to fit. Sometimes it means asking them to look by using a
different method as a compromise (you give a little, they give a
little).

Eventually you can work it out.
If you have a schema design issue or if you have a more specific set of
tables (please post their SHOW CREATE TABLE... results) and a sample
query

that you cannot solve (even if it's only a description of what you need
to

find), I am sure the list will be happy to help. Many of us really
enjoy

those kinds of puzzles.
Shawn Green
Database Administrator
Unimin Corporation - Spruce Pine

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