I think niphlod is correct. The query you have chosen is rather difficult
in SQL. The "contains" function maps onto the SQL "like" syntax, and that
has no ability to handle a list of targets, only a single string with
wildcards. To achieve the effect you want, you essentially have to create
another "contains" statement for every item in the list.
You might give some thought to the underlying problem and see if there is a
different way to express the data relationships to accomplish your goals.
Perhaps the "prefix" part should be in its own column -- then you could use
the SQL "in" syntax (web2py calls it "belongs") which does take a list or
even a subquery as its argument.
-- Joe B.
On Monday, November 26, 2012 3:58:29 AM UTC-8, Joel Samuelsson wrote:
>
> I have a function which takes a list of prefixes the data from a select
> can start with. The list is of unknown size. I found that the contains
> function (db.mytable.myfield.contains('value')) can take a list instead
> of 'value'. When I try this with the startswith function (
> db.mytable.myfield.contains('value')) I get an error. Is there any way I
> can get similar behaviour to contains but with startswith without moding
> web2py?
>
> Best regards,
> Joel
>
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