How to Efficiently Search for Full Names in MySQL Using CONCAT()?

Concatenating Columns in MySQL WHERE Clause

In a database table with columns for first names and last names, performing a search query with a single search term can be challenging. Searching each column separately using the LIKE operator can yield broad results, especially when single-word search terms are used.

To narrow down the search results, you can utilize the CONCAT() function to concatenate the first and last names into a single string. This string can then be compared to the search term using the LIKE operator. However, the example query provided in the question:

select * from table where first_name like '%$search_term%' or last_name like '%$search_term%' or concat_ws(' ',first_name,last_name) like '%$search_term%';

doesn't seem to yield the desired results.

A simplified version of the query, as suggested in the answer:

select * from table where concat_ws(' ',first_name,last_name) like '%$search_term%';

should achieve the goal of searching for the full name in a single query. The CONCAT() function combines the first and last names into a single string, which is then compared to the search term using the LIKE operator. This approach should provide more precise search results.

To troubleshoot the original query, providing an example of a name and search term that doesn't work as expected would be helpful. It may be that the issue lies elsewhere in the query or the table data.

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