Matching case insensitive strings

[dkin]

I have a sign up form, I do not want users to be able to use the same names as those that have already been created,my query thus far is this.

$plresult = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM user_char where name LIKE '$charname'", $link) or die ("query 1: " . mysql_error());

But that does not work, if I put a capital in a name already being used I can sign up with it, how can I alter this query for case insensitivity?

[dreamcatcher]

Use a comparison operator instead:

$plresult = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM user_char where NAME = '$charname' LIMIT 1", $link) or die ("query 1: " . mysql_error());

if (mysql_num_rows($plresult)>0)
{
//name taken
}
else
{
//ok
}

dc

[dkin]

correct me if I am wrong but that will interpret BOB and Bob as completely different strings will it not?

[dreamcatcher]

To be honest I`m not really sure.

Maybe change your original query to:

$plresult = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM user_char where name LIKE '%$charname%'", $link) or die ("query 1: " . mysql_error());

dc

[ergophobe]

It should be case-insensitive

[dev.mysql.com...] :

The following two statements illustrate that string comparisons are case-insensitive unless one of the operands is a binary string:

mysql> SELECT 'abc' LIKE 'ABC';
-> 1
mysql> SELECT 'abc' LIKE BINARY 'ABC';
-> 0