Duplicating a query across multiple fields

Question

Hi
We have a form for looking-up person information. It consists of a single-record block (PERSON) with fields like PERSON.PERSON_SURNAME and PERSON.PERSON_FORENAME. User's use the built in Enter Query and Execute Query buttons to find records. However, there are also fields such as PREVIOUS_SURNAME which users often don't bother to query which results in them creating duplicate records when they don't find the record they're looking for.
I was wondering if there's a way to capture the query that the user has entered and extend it to other fields? For example, if they entered 'SMITH%' in the PERSON_SURNAME field, instead of the form creating the query:
"select * from person where PERSON_SURNAME like 'SMITH%'"
it would run:
"select * from person where PERSON_SURNAME like 'SMITH%' or PREVIOUS_SURNAME like 'SMITH%'"
Also, some users forget to include a % in their query so I was hoping there was a way to effectively add one to every query automatically.
This would be fairly straight-forward if we used a custom query button but is there any way to do it while still using the built-in toolbar buttons?
Thanks

Answer 1

Thank you both for your replies. I tried Craig's suggestion and created this KEY-EXEQRY trigger:
declare
     xwhere   varchar2(2000);
begin
xwhere := null;
if :PIN is null and :UPN is null then --User doesn't know specific details so do fuzzy search
     if :PUPIL_SURNAME is not null then
          :PUPIL_SURNAME := :PUPIL_SURNAME||'%';
          xwhere := '(pupil_surname like '''||:PUPIL_SURNAME||''' or prevname like '''||:PUPIL_SURNAME||''')';
     end if;
     if xwhere is not null and :PUPIL_FORENAMES is not null then
          xwhere := xwhere||' and ';
     end if;
     if :PUPIL_FORENAMES is not null then
          :PUPIL_FORENAMES := :PUPIL_FORENAMES||'%';
          xwhere := xwhere|| '(pupil_forenames like '''||:PUPIL_FORENAMES||''' or preffname like '''||:PUPIL_FORENAMES||''')';
     end if;
     if xwhere is not null and :PUPIL_DATE_OF_BIRTH is not null then
          xwhere := xwhere||' and ';
     end if;
     if :PUPIL_DATE_OF_BIRTH is not null then
          xwhere := xwhere||'pupil_date_of_birth = '||:PUPIL_DATE_OF_BIRTH;
     end if;
     SET_BLOCK_PROPERTY ('PUPIL',DEFAULT_WHERE,xwhere);
end if;
execute_query;
end;The problem is, it seems to be disregarding the SET_BLOCK_PROPERTY function or overwriting it after the trigger. Adding the % seems to work (line 7) because I'm literally changing the contents of the field but the other fields aren't being queried. I don't believe simply setting
:PUPIL_SURNAME := :PUPIL_SURNAME||'%';
:PUPIL_PREVIOUS_SURNAME := :PUPIL_SURNAME;would work because forms will treat this as and AND query and I need it to be an OR.
Any other suggestsions?
Thanks
Edited by: Andrew V on May 24, 2013 11:05 AM