From: Andy Bakun
Date: December 9 2002 10:37pm
Subject: Re: Select * From table where name Like 'help'; Help
List-Archive: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/127048
Message-Id: <1039473455.24933.36.camel@deskbone>
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On Mon, 2002-12-09 at 16:10, Beauford.2003 wrote:
> Andy,
> 
> I mentioned in my previous email that I am using PHP, and I have also tried
> putting quotes around $var (many different ways) with no better results.
> REGEXP just gives a syntax error when I do this.

I'm sorry, I did miss the where you said you were using PHP. Just found
it.  But I was responding to:

   The real value of $var is not inserted before it is sent to the
   server.  REGEXP thinks that 'var' is part of the search pattern
   because $ is a reserved operator for REGEXP.

This is most definitely a quoting issue with your PHP string.  If it is
quoted correctly, the MySQL server will never see the string $var
appearing after the keyword REGEXP, so if $ has meaning to a regular
expression wouldn't matter (unless the value of $var contained a $). 
I've used REGEXP with (really complex) dynamicly built regular
expressions stored in PHP variables a number of times and have never had
a problem as you've described above.

> Through the suggestion of another list user I have found a way that suits my
> needs using the "where name like binary '$var'". It's jury rigged, but works
> the way I need it to work for the most part.

Don't give up now!  A perfect solution can be found! :)

Andy