meta_query, how to search using both relation OR & AND?

How to use both relation OR & AND in meta_query for search?

Are you struggling with customizing your meta_query to search for specific fields in your custom post type? Don't worry, we've got you covered! 🧐

The Problem

You have a custom post type called BOOKS with custom fields: TITLE, AUTHOR, GENRE, and RATING. You want to display only the books that have the search word in the fields title, author, and genre, with the exact rating specified in your search form.

You've already created a custom search form with a text area that searches through title, author, and genre, and a dropdown that searches for rating. However, you're stumped on how to add the code for the rating to your meta_query. 😩

The Solution

To achieve the desired search query using both relation OR and AND, we need to make a few adjustments to your existing code. Here's an example of how you can modify your meta_query to accomplish this:

$args = array(
    'relation' => 'AND',
    array(
        'relation' => 'OR',
        array(
            'key' => 'title',
            'value' => $searchvalue,
            'compare' => 'LIKE'
        ),
        array(
            'key' => 'author',
            'value' => $searchvalue,
            'compare' => 'LIKE'
        ),
        array(
            'key' => 'genre',
            'value' => $searchvalue,
            'compare' => 'LIKE'
        )
    ),
    array(
        'key' => 'rating',
        'value' => $ratingvalue,
        'compare' => '=',
        'type' => 'NUMERIC'
    )
);

In this updated meta_query code, we've used the relation parameter to specify that the title, author, and genre fields should be searched using an OR relation. This means that if any of these fields contain the search value, the book will be considered a match.

Additionally, we've nested this OR relation meta_query array within the main meta_query array, which has a relation of AND. This means that all the conditions within the main meta_query array must be satisfied for a book to be displayed in the search results.

Take Action!

Now that you have the updated meta_query code, it's time to implement it in your WordPress search functionality and see the magic happen! 🎩✨

Remember to replace the variable placeholders like $searchvalue and $ratingvalue with the actual values from your search form.

If you have any further questions or need more guidance, feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to us. We're always here to help! 🤗💻

Happy searching! 📚🔍