# Count words

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/count-words/105288>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 28, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/count-words/105288 "2007-05-28T13:40:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![diegoson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@diegoson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/diegoson)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/count-words/105288/1 "2007-05-28T13:40:37Z")

</div>

Two questions:

-How can I count words in a variable string?  
and  
-I have a variable, such a, string=“INN SO”. How can I found this string  
in mysql database where the field is “DINNER, SOAP”, for exemple?

Thank you,

Diego

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![diegoson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@diegoson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/diegoson)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/count-words/105288/2 "2007-05-29T01:24:29Z")

</div>

On 5/28/07, Diego Muñoz [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Two questions:
> 
> -How can I count words in a variable string?

“How can I count words in a variable string?”.split(/\s+/).length # =\> 9

and

> -I have a variable, such a, string=“INN SO”. How can I found this string  
> in mysql database where the field is “DINNER, SOAP”, for exemple?

search\_params = “INN SO”  
search\_conditions = search\_params.split(/\s+/).map{|s| “name LIKE  
‘%#{s}%’”  
}.join(" AND ") # =\> “name LIKE ‘%INN%’ AND name LIKE ‘%SO%’”

Product.find(:all, :conditions =\> search\_conditions)

–  
Scott B.  
Electro Interactive, Inc.  
Office: 813-333-5508  
[http://ElectroInteractive.com](http://ElectroInteractive.com) [http://electrointeractive.com/](http://electrointeractive.com/)  
[http://sbecker.net](http://sbecker.net)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![diegoson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@diegoson](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/diegoson)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 8:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/count-words/105288/3 "2007-05-29T08:01:44Z")

</div>

Scott B. wrote:

> On 5/28/07, Diego Muñoz [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> > -I have a variable, such a, string=“INN SO”. How can I found this string  
> > in mysql database where the field is “DINNER, SOAP”, for exemple?
> 
> search\_params = “INN SO”  
> search\_conditions = search\_params.split(/\s+/).map{|s| “name LIKE  
> ‘%#{s}%’”  
> }.join(" AND ") # =\> “name LIKE ‘%INN%’ AND name LIKE ‘%SO%’”
> 
> Product.find(:all, :conditions =\> search\_conditions)

Thanks Scott for your answer, but the solution for my question is in  
[http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/109645#new](http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/109645#new)

Diego