How to Efficiently Search for Names in a MySQL Table Using `concat()`?

Searching a Table with Combined First and Last Names in a WHERE Clause

In MySQL, the concat() function allows you to concatenate multiple columns into a single string. This can be useful when searching a table with multiple columns containing related data that you want to filter on.

Specifically, when searching a table with first name and last name columns for a specific term, you can use concat() to combine these columns and search for the entire name as a single field. This allows for more precise search results when searching for individuals with a particular name.

The following query demonstrates how to use concat() to compare a search term against both first and last name columns:

SELECT *
FROM table
WHERE concat_ws(' ', first_name, last_name) LIKE '%search_term%';

For example, if you are searching for an individual with the name "Larry Smith" and the search term is "Larry", the above query will return the row with that name.

By utilizing the concat() function, you can broaden your search criteria to include matches in either the first name, last name, or both. This provides a more comprehensive search result and improves the efficiency of your data retrieval.

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