CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

I have been trying with no luck to use the api to return contacts which have one option selected from a multi option custom field.

If I do
<code>
$params = array(
  'version' =>'3',
  'return' =>'custom_18,display_name'
)
$results=civicrm_api("Contact","get", $params);
</code>
I am returned
<code>
"1":{
  "contact_id":"1",
  "display_name":"Test Society 1",
  "contact_is_deleted":"0",
  "civicrm_value_information_3_id":"11",
  "custom_18":["fossils"],
  "id":"1"
},
"2":{
  "contact_id":"2",
  "display_name":"Test Society 2",
  "contact_is_deleted":"0",
  "civicrm_value_information_3_id":"11",
  "custom_18":["fossils","marine"],
  "id":"2"
}
</code>

But if I do

<code>
$params = array(
  'version' =>'3',
  'custom_18' =>'fossils', -- or  'custom_18' =>array('fossils'),
  'return' =>'custom_18,display_name'
)
$results=civicrm_api("Contact","get", $params);
</code>
I am returned
<code>
"1":{
  "contact_id":"1",
  "display_name":"Test Society 1",
  "contact_is_deleted":"0",
  "civicrm_value_information_3_id":"11",
  "custom_18":["fossils"],
  "id":"1"
}
</code>

It is only picking up those contacts where only one item is in custom_18.
This has had me stumped and I have gotten so I can't progress much further.
Pointers would be appreciated
thanks