This is the entire mysql statement that runs without error but pulls records back that it shouldn't.

    my $data = qq(SELECT engine, name1, name2, name3, name4, lable1, l
+able2, lable3, lable4, settings1, settings2,
                  settings3, settings4 FROM special_fields WHERE engin
+e IN (".join(",",map($dbh->quote($_), @choices)).") AND 
                  settings1="public" OR settings2="public" OR settings
+3="public" OR settings4="public");
    my $sth = $dbh->prepare($data);
    $sth->execute() or die $dbh->errstr;

    my ($engine, $name1, $name2, $name3, $name4, $lable1, $lable2, $la
+ble3, $lable4, $settings1, $settings2,
                  $settings3, $settings4);
    $sth->bind_columns(\$engine, \$name1, \$name2, \$name3, \$name4, \
+$lable1, \$lable2, \$lable3, \$lable4, 
                       \$settings1, \$settings2, \$settings3, \$settin
+gs4);
[download]

The thing really confusing me is the entire JOIN statement, it was code from a previous node on here.

All I'm trying to do is have a variable (@choices) with a few names (engines column) and pull back only the records found in the array. That's why the join() is there and that's why I'm completely lost.

When I wrap ( ) around AND ( ... or ... or ... ) I get 0 results back.

Print out your statement. It isn't what you expect. Then reread what I wrote to see why.

- tye        

Sorry, it's me again. I hope I'm not bugging you with the questions or get the idea I don't want to figure this out on my own but I am really stuck on this one.

I took your suggestion and printed the statement and recieved

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\scripts>perl form.pl
SELECT engine, lable1, lable2, lable3, lable4, settings1, settings2, s
+ettings3, settings4 FROM special_fields WHERE engine IN (".join(",",m
+ap(->quote (), )).") AND (settings1="public" OR settings2="public" OR
+ settings3="public")
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\scripts>
[download]

I've reread it quite a few times now and I don't see anything misplaced or missing.

Of course that's assuming you meant for me to do

print qq(SELECT engine, lable4, settings1, settings2 FROM special_fiel
+ds WHERE engine IN (".join(",",map($dbh->quote($_), @choices)).") AND
+ 
(settings1="public" OR settings2="public" OR settings3="public"));
# removed some of the columns just to clean it up a bit
[download]

I carefully counted the open and close parens around the JOIN and all of them were there, including the last paren after public").

I also went ahead and tried again after creating the array and something looks weird about it printing out every element at once, I sort of expected it to only print one.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\scripts>perl form.pl
SELECT engine, lable1,settings3, settings4 FROM special_fields WHERE e
+ngine IN (".join(",",map(->quote
(), red blue orange green)).") AND
(settings1="public" OR settings2="public" OR settings3="public" )
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\scripts>
[download]