From: bnews <brutyn_nick@...>
Date: 2005-09-27T21:46:46+09:00
Subject: RAILS question, sql statements

hey, i want to created an sql statement with rails for a search engine

this is the code, u can search on first name and last name

firm_id = @session[:user].id
  #last_name =  params[:employee][:last_name]
  #first_name =  params[:employee][:first_name]
  last_name =  "Creytens"
  first_name =  "b"
  @employee_pages, @employees = paginate (:employee, :conditions =>
["firm_id = ? and first_name like ? and last_name like ?" , firm_id,
first_name, last_name] , :order_by => "last_name ASC", :per_page => 10)


i have a few question:

-how can i make, that the user doesnt need to fill in the full name, just
1st or a couple of letters, in php i can use the % ==> '%first_name%', seems
not to work here

-the search engine is on the same page as the results, but the first time
the parameters arent there, so i just want to show all employees, if the
parameters are there then i show those.
How can i check if the parameters are there, in php u can u isset(
*_POST["last_name"] ), what is that here?