$wpdb->get_var multiple queries in one database check

Question

I am using the $wpdb->get_var php code to get the first name and last name on the records, in the wp_usermeta table... But because the field value is stored in the same cell, I don't know how to merge it into one string. Right now I do it like this:

$_EmployeeFName = $wpdb->get_var( $wpdb->prepare("SELECT `meta_value` FROM `wp_usermeta` WHERE `meta_key` = 'first_name' and `user_id` = %d ", $_REQUEST['empid']));
$_EmployeeLName = $wpdb->get_var( $wpdb->prepare("SELECT `meta_value` FROM `wp_usermeta` WHERE `meta_key` = 'last_name' and `user_id` = %d ", $_REQUEST['empid']));

Is there a way to do that in ONE pull from the database? I don't want to do this a lot, to save the database from so many pulls...

I don't know how to do it though.

do you?

Thanks, Richard

Answer 1

Why do your own database queries? Use the WP functions to do it for you.

$empid = (int) $_REQUEST['empid'];
$name = get_user_meta($empid, 'first_name', true) . ' ' . get_user_meta($empid, 'last_name', true);

Answer 2

If you want to perform a single query that retrieves one field but for multiple results (e.g. to avoid round-trips to the database), the simplest explanation is to use get_results() instead.

Taking your query:

$wpdb->get_var( $wpdb->prepare("SELECT `meta_value` FROM `wp_usermeta` WHERE `meta_key` = 'first_name' and `user_id` = %d ", $_REQUEST['empid']))

... and seeing how it is nearly identical to the one of the other field:

$wpdb->get_var( $wpdb->prepare("SELECT `meta_value` FROM `wp_usermeta` WHERE `meta_key` = 'last_name' and `user_id` = %d ", $_REQUEST['empid']))

... I would suggest rolling them together into a single query:

$results = $wpdb->get_results($wpdb->prepare("
    SELECT `meta_key`, `meta_value`
        FROM `wp_usermeta`
        WHERE `meta_key` IN ('first_name', 'last_name')
            AND `user_id` = %d;", $_REQUEST['empid']));

Your $results object would be an array with meta_key and meta_value properties on each object.

You could then get your individual fields as follows:

foreach($results as $rec) {
    switch($rec->meta_key) {
        case "first_name":
            $_EmployeeFName = $rec->meta_value;
            break;
        case "last_name":
            $_EmployeeLName = $rec->meta_value;
            break;
    }
}

Using get_results() allows you not only to query for both at the same time, but also to be able to differentiate between the two (providing both the meta_key and the corresponding meta_value).