HOW TO: Use DHTML to Add Wildcards to a Database Query in FrontPage 2002

Use this step-by-step guide to add wildcard characters to a database search form by using Dynamic HTML (DHTML). The example in this article uses a Like query and DHTML to create a better verion of the built-in Contains query.

NOTE: This article uses custom DHTML that may not be available in all browsers. For more information about compatibility with other browsers, click Microsoft FrontPage Help on the Help menu, type compatibility in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

NOTE: You may receive an error message if you copy the examples directly from this article and paste them into FrontPage. The angle brackets (< and >) may appear as escaped HTML code (< and >). To work around this behavior, paste the script into a blank Notepad document, and then copy it from Notepad before you paste it into FrontPage.

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

Step 1 - Prepare to Use the ASP Features in FrontPage

Before you can use the ASP features in FrontPage, install the components listed in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

Step 2 - Create a Database Results Page

1. In FrontPage, open a Web site on a Web server that supports Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP).
2. Click the New Page button on the Standard toolbar.
3. Create a Database Results Region. To do this, point to Database on the Insert menu, and then click Results.
4. Select the Use a sample database connection (Northwind) option and click Next.
5. For record source, select the Products table, and then click Next.
6. Click More Options.
7. Click Criteria.
8. Click Add.
9. In the Add Criteria dialog box, set the following options:
   • Set the field name to ProductName.
   • Set the comparison to Like.
   • Use the default, ProductName, for the value.
   • Click to select the Use this search form field check box if necessary.
10. Click OK to close the Add Criteria dialog box.
11. Click OK to close the Criteria dialog box.
12. Click OK to close the More Options dialog box.
13. Click Next.
14. Click Next.
15. Click Finish.
16. Save the page to your Web and name it ProductName.asp.

Step 3 - Add DHTML to the Page

1. Switch to HTML view.
2. Add the following DHTML code before the closing </HEAD> tag:

   <script language="javascript">
   function FixMe(tmpForm,tmpField)
   {
     var strTemp = tmpField.value.toString();
     if (strTemp.substring(0,1) != '%')
       strTemp = '%' + strTemp;
     if (strTemp.substring(strTemp.length-1,strTemp.length) != '%')
       strTemp = strTemp + '%';
     tmpField.value = strTemp;
     tmpForm.submit();
   }
   </script>
   					

3. Locate and delete the following code:

   <form BOTID="0" METHOD="POST" ACTION="productname.asp">
   						

   and replace it with this code:

   <form BOTID="0" METHOD="POST" ACTION="productname.asp" onSubmit="FixMe(this,this.ProductName)">
   					

4. Switch back to normal view.
5. Save the page to your Web.

Step 4 - Test the Page

1. Click the Preview in Browser button on the Standard toolbar.
   
   No form fields should appear on the page.
2. Do not type any text. Click Submit.
   
   The search form field should contain a single percent sign (%) and all records are returned.
3. Clear the input field on the search form, type Bob's, and then click Submit.
   
   %Bob's% appears in the input field and all fields that contain that text string are displayed.

For additional information about errors that can appear when working with the Database Results Region, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: