[PHP] problem with a mysql query with data from a form

[Vincent Fievet]

hi, 
 
i am a newbie to php and mysql, i run the easyphp kit ( php 4.2.0, Mysql
3.23.49 and phpmyadmin 2.2.6 )
 
i would like to use a select * from mytable where my variable like
'%$mystring%'
where $mystring come from a form
 
<form action="show.php" method="post" name="form1" target="_blank">
    <table align="left">
      <tr> '%Mike %
        <td width="98"><h3>Communication Impliquant :</h3></td>
        <td width="144" valign="middle"> <font color="#FFFFCC"> 
          <select name="det" size="5" id="det">
            <option value="PC" selected>PC</option>
           <option value="echo">echo</option>
          ...  
          <option value="H10 Tango">H10 Tango</option>
           </select>
          <select name="den" size="1" id="den">
            <option value=" " selected> </option>
            <option value="1">1</option>
            ...
            <option value="10">10</option>
          </select>
          </font></td>
        <td width="153"> <input name="delibre" type="text" id="delibre"
maxlength="20"></td>
        <td width="39"> <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Ok">
</td>
 
so in show.php i do a 
 
$sql="SELECT * FROM journal WHERE a like '%det%' OR de like '%$det%'
order by dateheure desc";
echo $sql;
and what i get is :
SELECT * FROM journal WHERE a like '%PC %' OR de like '%PC %' order by
dateheure desc
( note the blank space at the end of PC )
whitch doesnt get any record since the word i am looking is "PC" and not
"PC "
i used a "like" because the request should be used to find record with
"PC 1" "PC" "PC 9" "PC12" ... 
 
any ideas ?
 
Thanx
 
Vincent Fievet