[soloWebDev]

the title does not do this question justice, but i wasn't sure how to sum up my question.
EXAMPLE:
i have a sql query with a where stmt
i have a form submit that a user submits x amount of invoices per one activity
knowing that x will be different every time, and that your sql query needs to encapsulate all of the "x's" with a
WHERE (x1 = .. OR x2 = .. OR x3 = ..)
but the next time it could be
WHERE (x1 = .. OR x2 = .. )
and one more
WHERE (x1 = .. OR x2 = .. OR x3 = .. OR x4 = ..)
and so on...
has anyone done this where the where stmt would be altered on the fly pending on the account and activity you are looking at?
END EXAMPLE:
THOUGHT:
have a query, but another query included at the same time or something like that.

Thank you in advance, I hope my description has been helpful for what I am looking for.

[mab]

If this is using a scripting language, like PHP, the query string can be built several ways -

By concatenating the pieces together using a loop.

If the terms x1 = ..., x2 = ... were in an array and they always used one type of condition (OR in your example) you could implode() them and than concatenate that with the rest of the query.

If the column is actually always the same WHERE x1 = 123 OR x1 = 456..., then you can use a mysql IN() function (similar to a php in_array() function) in the WHERE clause.

So, short answer, yes. A scripting language can dynamically build any valid query string using a variable number of items to put in the WHERE clause.

Your example is a bit vague. For example, if you really have a number of columns in a row - x1, x2, x3, ... holding similar data, that would be a bad table design and would require a lot more code to insert, find, modify, and retrieve any piece of data.

If you could show at least two different actual queries to clarify what is actually occurring, someone can provide some specific code.

[soloWebDev]

Mab, your explanation is amazing. thank you for taking the time and explaining that to me.
links for future viewers
SQL IN(
PHP implode()
Def: Concatenation

[mab]

No problem, that is what the ProgrammingTalk forum is here for and what it does best.

Hmm... now where is that thread [SOLVED] button and the ThankYou button....
(just a little behind the scenes ribbing...)