How can wildcards or jokers be implemented in a PHP search function to enhance search results?

Using wildcards or jokers in a PHP search function can enhance search results by allowing users to search for partial matches or variations of a keyword. This can be achieved by using special characters like '*' or '%' in the search query to represent any sequence of characters. Implementing this functionality can make the search more flexible and inclusive, improving the overall user experience.

$searchTerm = $_GET['search']; // Get the search term from the user input
$searchTerm = str_replace('*', '%', $searchTerm); // Replace '*' with '%' for wildcard search
$query = "SELECT * FROM products WHERE name LIKE :searchTerm"; // Use LIKE operator for wildcard search
$stmt = $pdo->prepare($query);
$stmt->bindValue(':searchTerm', $searchTerm, PDO::PARAM_STR);
$stmt->execute();
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();