What are the advantages and disadvantages of using MySQL Fulltext search compared to traditional Like queries in PHP?

When searching for text in a MySQL database using PHP, using MySQL Fulltext search can provide faster and more accurate results compared to traditional Like queries. Fulltext search allows for natural language searching, relevance ranking, and the ability to search for phrases and specific words. However, Fulltext search requires specific indexing and configuration, and may not be suitable for all types of text searches. 

// Using MySQL Fulltext search
$searchTerm = "example search term";
$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE MATCH(column_name) AGAINST ('$searchTerm' IN NATURAL LANGUAGE MODE)";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

// Using traditional Like query
$searchTerm = "example search term";
$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE '%$searchTerm%'";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

Keywords

MySQL Fulltext search Like queries PHP advantages

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