Building query strings in PHP

Question

I'm wondering if there is a technique or function to do this or if I'm just going to have to have a ton of IF statements/arrays here-

I have a page called products.php and a few different filters I add in the query string. All the filters (if chosen) could look like this:

products.php?cat=chairs&type=pine&search=Vienna+Range

Is there a simple way to build the query for use again?

I'm going to have buttons/a search box to change the filters I'm using, so will I have to build the URL and query up again for each filter?

For example I'd like to have:

<a href="products.php?cat=tables">Tables</a>
<a href="products.php?cat=beds">Beds</a>
<a href="products.php?cat=chairs">Chairs</a>

but also build the query so that it remembers my search term, wood type and range; so clicking on "Tables" would take me to

products.php?cat=chairs&type=pine&search=Vienna+Range.

What about the php function http_build_query? php.net/http_build_query — Jim
– Jim, Commented Oct 9, 2011 at 6:44

Alessandro Desantis · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-09 06:48:40Z

3

You can write something like:

<?php
$params = array(
    'cat'    => 'chair',
    'type'   => 'pine',
    'search' => 'Vienna Range',
);

print_r(http_build_query($params) . PHP_EOL);

You'll get this:

cat=chair&type=pine&search=Vienna+Range

answered Oct 9, 2011 at 6:48

Alessandro Desantis

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3 Comments

penpen Over a year ago

So I would have to do build the query like that for each filter?

Alessandro Desantis Over a year ago

Well, I would do something like this: $params = array('new_search_param' => 'value'); $params = array_merge($_GET, $params); This way, the old search params will be preserved.

penpen Over a year ago

That's a bit over my head for someone at my level, but you made me look at http_build_query again which gives me what I want. I just have to check if a value it is entered as "NULL". Thank you!

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