Searching for availability with MySQL (and PHP)?

Question

I have two MySQL (MyIsAm) tables that represent letting units and bookings:

• LettingUnits (ID, Name, etc...)
• LettingUnitBooki

Answer 1

It's not pretty.

• Join LettingUnitBookings to itself
• Find the start and end of gaps between bookings for each F_LU_ID
• Get the size of the gaps - the available 'slots'
• Consider the case where there are no existing bookings that 'bracket' a suitable slot, add in outlier dates for this
• Join that projection to the LettingUnits table and apply WHERE criteria (start, end, duration)

I've neglected to include BookingUnits that have no bookings at all.

Ends up looking like this:

SELECT @StartOfWindow := '2009-01-01',
       @EndOfWindow   := '2009-02-01',
       @WindowSize    := 5
;

SELECT
    lu.Name,
    Slots.*
FROM (
    SELECT
        lub1.F_LU_ID,
        DATE_ADD( MAX( lub2.date_time ), INTERVAL 1 DAY )     AS StartOfSlot,
        DATE_SUB( lub1.date_time, INTERVAL 1 DAY )            AS EndOfSlot,
        DATEDIFF( lub1.date_time, MAX( lub2.date_time ) ) - 1 AS AvailableDays
    FROM
    ( SELECT F_LU_ID, Start AS date_time FROM LettingUnitBookings
      UNION
      SELECT F_LU_ID, CAST( '9999-12-31' AS DATE ) FROM LettingUnitBookings
    ) AS lub1,
    ( SELECT F_LU_ID, End   AS date_time FROM LettingUnitBookings
      UNION
      SELECT F_LU_ID, CAST( '1000-01-01' AS DATE ) FROM LettingUnitBookings
    ) AS lub2
    WHERE
        lub2.date_time <= lub1.date_time
    AND lub2.F_LU_ID = lub1.F_LU_ID
    GROUP BY
        lub1.F_LU_ID,
        lub1.date_time
    ) Slots
JOIN LettingUnits lu
ON   lu.ID = Slots.F_LU_ID
WHERE
    Slots.AvailableDays >= @WindowSize
AND (
   (     DATEDIFF( Slots.EndOfSlot, @EndOfWindow )     >= @WindowSize
     AND DATEDIFF( @StartOfWindow, Slots.StartOfSlot ) >= @WindowSize
   )
   OR
   (     DATEDIFF( @EndOfWindow, Slots.StartOfSlot ) >= @WindowSize
     AND DATEDIFF( Slots.EndOfSlot, @StartOfWindow ) >= @WindowSize
   )
)

Gives

Name        F_LU_ID StartOfSlot EndOfSlot  AvailableDays
Foo Cottage 123     2009-01-06  2009-01-09 5
Foo Cottage 123     2009-01-21  2009-01-24 5

Hopefully that can be adapted to suit your needs.

Alternatively, if a booking can start on the same day that the previous booking ends, you can adapt slightly...

SELECT
    lu.Name,
    Slots.*
FROM (
    SELECT
        lub1.F_LU_ID,
        MAX( lub2.date_time ) AS StartOfSlot,
        lub1.date_time        AS EndOfSlot,
        DATEDIFF( lub1.date_time, MAX( lub2.date_time )) AS AvailableDays
    FROM
    ( SELECT F_LU_ID, Start AS date_time FROM LettingUnitBookings
      UNION
      SELECT F_LU_ID, CAST( '9999-12-31' AS DATE ) FROM LettingUnitBookings
    ) AS lub1,
    ( SELECT F_LU_ID, End   AS date_time FROM LettingUnitBookings
      UNION
      SELECT F_LU_ID, CAST( '1000-01-01' AS DATE ) FROM LettingUnitBookings
    ) AS lub2
    WHERE
        lub2.date_time <= lub1.date_time
    AND lub2.F_LU_ID = lub1.F_LU_ID
    GROUP BY
        lub1.F_LU_ID,
        lub1.date_time
    ) Slots
JOIN LettingUnits lu
ON   lu.ID = Slots.F_LU_ID
WHERE
    Slots.AvailableDays >= @WindowSize
AND
   (     DATEDIFF( Slots.EndOfSlot, @EndOfWindow )     >= @WindowSize
     AND DATEDIFF( @StartOfWindow, Slots.StartOfSlot ) >= @WindowSize
   )
   OR
   (     DATEDIFF( @EndOfWindow, Slots.StartOfSlot ) >= @WindowSize
     AND DATEDIFF( Slots.EndOfSlot, @StartOfWindow ) >= @WindowSize
   )