I have a buggy details search going now, but no time to finish it.
The file I'm working on is test_search.php and it should have enough pointers in it to get me going when I get back.
I'm part way through characters and places, and although the php generates functional sql (I can copy/paste the sql in to phpmyadmin and it runs) I get garbage echo'd to html.
I'm on the right track, though.