Using IN clause in db_query

Question

I can't figure out how to add an IN clause in my query, using placeholders.

I'd want it to be something like:

$nids = array(1, 2, 3);
$result = db_query('SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid IN :nids', array(':nids' => $nids));

Can't find any documentation on this simple task. What's the proper way to achieve this?

Answer 1

You are missing the braces.

Try this:

$nids = array(1, 2, 3);
$result = db_query('SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid IN (:nids)', array(':nids' => $nids));

For more information, see http://drupal.org/node/310072, especially the chapter on Placeholder arrays:

Placeholder arrays

Drupal's database layer includes an extra feature of placeholders. If the value passed in for a placeholder is an array, it will be automatically expanded into a comma separated list as will the corresponding placeholder. That means developers do not need to worry about counting how many placeholders they will need.

An example should make this behavior clearer:

<?php
// This code:
db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid IN (:nids)", array(':nids' => array(13, 42, 144));

// Will get turned into this prepared statement equivalent automatically:
db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid IN (:nids_1, :nids_2, :nids_3)", array(
  ':nids_1' => 13, 
  ':nids_2' => 42, 
  ':nids_3' => 144,
));

// Which is equivalent to the following literal query:
db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid IN (13, 42, 144)");
?>

Answer 2

Drupal 8

Use the entity query class.

$query = \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('entity_type')->getQuery();
$query->condition('field/property', [1, 2, 3], 'IN');
$ids = $query->execute();

To directly query the entity database table, the code is essentially the same for other database tables.

$query = \Drupal::database()->select('table', 't');
$query->condition('column', [1, 2, 3], 'IN');
...

Drupal 7

See Berdir's answer.

Drupal 6

You can use code similar to the following one.

$nids = array(1, 2, 3);
$placeholders = db_placeholders($nids);
$result = db_query("SELECT * FROM {node} WHERE nid IN ($placeholders)", $nids);

db_placeholders() is needed in Drupal 6 to create the string that holds the values needed for the array. Drupal 7 handles all this internally as Berdir describes.

Answer 3

In Drupal 7, you can use db_select() instead of db_query().

$nids = array(1, 2, 3);
$query = db_select('node', 'n')
  ->fields('n')
  ->condition('n.nid', $nids, 'IN')
  ->execute();
$nodes = $query->fetchAll();

Answer 4

In Drupal 6, if your array contains strings, you need to tell db_placeholders().

$colours = array('red', 'yellow', 'blue');
$placeholders = db_placeholders($colours,'text');
$result = db_query("SELECT * FROM {bricks} WHERE colour IN ($placeholders)", $colours);

Answer 5

Drupal 8 update.

Also valid.

$nids = db_query("SELECT nid FROM node_field_data WHERE nid IN (:nids[]) AND status = 1", [
  ':nids[]' => $nids
])->fetchCol();