Embedding wildcard '%' into a query string

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
I am doing a search query

Code:

// Prepare query string
//$searchstr = preg_replace('/\s{1,}/', '%', $searchstr);
  
$query = $this->db->select()
->from('employee')
->like("CONCAT(fname,' ',lname)", $searchstr)
->or_like('phone', $searchstr)
->order_by('lname','fname')
->get();

But when I uncomment the preg_replace line, the '%' get escaped in the call. I have tried %% also to no avail.

Any suggestions?

[eluser]DarkManX[/eluser]
http://ellislab.com/codeigniter/user-gui...tml#select
look up for $this->db->like();

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
Thanks. I'm well aware of the documentation covering like. The problem is that if I add the wildcard %, it escapes it: (from the log)

Code:

ERROR - 2012-08-20 13:02:15 --> Query: SELECT *
FROM (`mytable`)
WHERE  CONCAT(fname,' ',lname)  LIKE '%j\%doe%'
OR  `phone`  LIKE '%j\%doe%'
ORDER BY `lname` ASC

or similarly

Code:

RROR - 2012-08-20 13:04:00 --> Query: SELECT *
FROM (`mytable`)
WHERE  CONCAT(fname,' ',lname)  LIKE '%j\%\%doe%'
OR  `phone`  LIKE '%j\%\%doe%'

Do you know how to prevent it from escaping the % in the middle?