CodeIgniter ActiveRecord join() method wrapping numbers with backticks - codeigniter

Question

This is my active record code in CodeIgniter:
$this->db->...
$this->db->join('post_likes', 'post_likes.user_id="'.$this->db->escape($online_user).'" AND post_likes.post_id=post.id', 'left');
And this is how it is interpreted:
LEFT JOIN `post_likes` ON `post_likes`.`user_id`="`3"` AND post_likes.post_id=post.id
it gives the error:
`user_id`="`3"`
How to write a direct number in active record?
Update:
removing escape
to test it on your computer you dont need to have a database. Just trying this code shows the error:
$this->db->select('*')
->from('mytable')
->join('post_likes', 'post_likes.user_id="3" AND post_likes.post_id=post.id', 'left');
$query=$this->db->get('');
var_dump($this->db->last_query());
exit(0);
result:
A Database Error Occurred
Error Number: 1064
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '` AND post_likes.post_id=post.id' at line 3
SELECT * FROM (`mytable`) LEFT JOIN `post_likes` ON `post_likes`.`user_id`="`3"` AND post_likes.post_id=post.id

Answer 1

You SHOULD not use the double quotes in SQL query:
$this->db->join('post_likes', "post_likes.user_id = $online_user AND post_likes.post_id=post.id", 'left');
Update:
This is a bug in the current CI stable version (fixed in v3.0-DEV), CI ActiveRecord methods (which doesn't implement really ActiveRecord) are prepared for simple usages.
I fixed this issue before by hacking the core files (by adding a parameter to join method to disable _protect_identifires).
There we go:
In system/database/DB_active_rec.php line #310, add $escape as 4th parameter:
public function join($table, $cond, $type = '', $escape = TRUE)
And change $match[3] = ... to:
if ($escape === TRUE)
{
$match[3] = $this->_protect_identifiers($match[3]);
}
So, you can use join($table, $cond, $type = '', $escape = FALSE) to disable escaping.
In addition, setting _protect_identifires globally to FALSE is not in a correct direction.
the only option remains is using custom query():
$sql = "SELECT * FROM some_table WHERE id = ?"
$this->db->query($sql, array(3));

Answer 2

Try this
$this->db->join('post_likes', "post_likes.user_id=$the_userid AND
post_likes.post_id=post.id", 'left');
or
$this->db->join('post_likes', 'post_likes.user_id="'.$the_userid.'" AND
post_likes.post_id=post.id', 'left');
Update:
Define
$db['default']['_protect_identifiers']= FALSE;
in "application/config/database.php" at the end.

Answer 3

Simple solution would be to temporarily set the protect_identifiers off before join query, like so:
$this->db->_protect_identifiers = false;
After making join query you could set it back to true
Works for me in CodeIgniter version 2.1.2

Answer 4

try this one
$this->db->join('post_likes', 'post_likes.user_id="{$online_user}" AND post_likes.post_id=post.id', 'left');
please let me know if you face any problem.

Answer 5

Dont use $this->db->escape
$this->db->join('post_likes', 'post_likes.user_id="'.$online_user.'" AND post_likes.post_id=post.id', 'left');