How Can I Efficiently Search for Emails in MySQL's Comma-Separated Values?

Searching MySQL for Comma-Separated Values

In scenarios where you have data stored in MySQL tables as comma-separated values (CSV), finding specific occurrences can pose a challenge. This question explores a situation where emails are stored in a table with multiple recipients. The task at hand is to search for emails based on either the sender or recipient using the imap_emails table, which holds sender and recipient information as CSVs.

For this search, using a simple LIKE condition may not suffice. Instead, the question suggests employing a more refined approach, such as FIND_IN_SET or a similar function. This article will delve into an alternative solution to address the challenge.

One effective method involves using the FIND_IN_SET function to perform a join between the customers and imap_emails tables. This approach allows you to search for specific values within the CSVs stored in the imap_emails table.

Sample code demonstrating this approach:

SELECT *
FROM imap_emails
INNER JOIN customers
ON FIND_IN_SET(customers.email, imap_emails.to) > 0

This query will return all rows from the imap_emails table where the email column from the customers table is found in the comma-separated to column of the imap_emails table.

Note that the example only checks for a match in the to column. Depending on the desired behavior, you can modify the query to search for matches in the from column or both. This flexibility offers adaptability to specific search requirements.

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