Meta Query printing "array" in query when compare type is LIKE

[tplayer]

Always a try to filter post by meta_query using a array value and compare equals to "LIKE" the returned SQL query is buged. WordPress return something like this:

(wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'passed_key_value' AND CAST(wp_postmeta.meta_value AS CHAR) LIKE '%Array%'))

The array values are not serialized, and "Array" are outputed to in SQL Query.

Serializing the values the problem still the same and WordPress output in query somethinhg like this

(wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'passed_key_value' AND CAST(wp_postmeta.meta_value AS CHAR) LIKE '%Array[0], Array[1], Array[2]%'))

According the ​WP_Query documentation, array is supported in field "value" for meta_query filters.

[dd32]

According the WP_Query documentation, array is supported in field "value" for meta_query filters.

The codex just isn't very explicit in the accepted values. A string is expected in all cases, except for IN and BETWEEN (and their NOT counterparts) which both accept an array (or comma separated list of items).

Marking this as an enhancement as such that it's not broken, just not implemented :)

[robmiller]

First go at allowing multiple LIKE values in a meta query

[robmiller]

Here's a first, rough crack at extending the meta query logic to allow an array of values. If a single value is passed, you get the LIKE "%foo%" that you'd expect; if you pass an array of values, you get e.g. LIKE "%foo%" OR LIKE "%bar%".

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts; it feels somewhat dirty at the moment but that's primarily because I didn't want to redo the current logic too much.

Usage: new WP_Query(array('meta_key' => 'foo', 'meta_value' => array('foo', 'bar'), 'meta_compare' => 'like'));

[wonderboymusic]

Patch needs testing and I shudder to think how badly multiple wildcard searches will perform with meta query. Not ready to move this over.

[wonderboymusic]

This does make some sense from an API perspective - my performance concerns are still vast

[boonebgorges]

Replying to wonderboymusic:

This does make some sense from an API perspective - my performance concerns are still vast

If someone wants to join a half dozen LIKE clauses, they can already do it. The new proposed syntax makes it marginally easier to inflict pain on oneself, but IMO this is not a serious concern.

More serious is that LIKE + an array is ambiguous between OR and AND. #27344 proposes some additional syntax to handle that, but in https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/27344#comment:4 I rain on that parade too. Short story: anything you want to do with the proposed array syntax can be accomplished without it, especially since [29887].

I'm going to close this ticket because it's covered by #27344, which I think should also be closed. robmiller - thanks so much for the patch.