Craig,
[BTW there is a set of PHP lists, including PHP-DB - mentioned because 'purists'
sometimes object to 'PHP
questions'!?]
> >>The following lists 12 items from a fruits table.
> >>
> >>$results = mysql_query("SELECT ID, date, appleprice, orangeprice, pearprice
> >>FROM fruits");
> >>while ($data = mysql_fetch_array($results))
> >>{
> >>?>
> >><p><?=$data["date"]?> - <?=$data["appleprice"]?> -
> >><?=$data["orangeprice"]?> - <?=$data["pearprice"]?></p>
> >><?
> >>}
> >>
> >>How would I modify the loop to display 4 items then a row of fruit images
> >>then 4 more items then another row of different fruit images and then
> >>finally finish the loop displaying the final 4 items?
> >
> >That's a good question, given that the query doesn't retrieve any images,
> >nor is it evident where else they might come from. :-)
> >
> >But it sounds like you're talking about three loops, not one.
>
> if you decide to display only first 4 item try to used limit clause after
> the SQL statement. otherwise use any count variable within your loop.
Performing multiple hits against MySQL is likely to be much more expensive that
manipulating within PHP. Make
one query and be done!
Am a little surprised at the suggestion of "three loops" - perhaps Paul has spotted
something that I've missed.
You have not said whether you will only ever have 12 rows in the recordset. You have
said that you want a
'break' after every four rows of db results. Further that after the final set of four
rows, there will not be a
'break' (nor by implication will there be one prior to the first set of rows).
If you can count on the "12" then hard-coding becomes possible - but stand away from
me when I say that because
the pure-code police will strike me down with a lightning bolt. If you can't count on
the "12", then are you
prepared to have an additional 'break' (line of fruit images) and a single (orphan)
row in the case of (say) a
13-row resultset?
You say "different fruit images" which may mean that each break row features a
different set of images (cf the
same image-row each time). It has already been observed that the source of this/these
is 'unknown'. (I have
(below) pushed out that functionality to a mythical function, to 'bury' the whole
question)
The current state of the nation:
query db to get resultset
num_rows is 12
while there's still data in the resultset
{
ECHO row data
}
You could add a simple check for the need to add a 'break line':
query db to get resultset
num_rows is 12
row_ctr = 0
while there's still data in the resultset
{
ECHO row data
row_ctr ++
if ( row_ctr divides evenly by 4 )
fnDisplayFruitImages;
}
I haven't understood why there is a WHILE loop here, but it's your code (and my warped
mind)! Knowing that there
are 12 rows seems to indicate a FOR loop but I doubt there's any major performance
difference, so I'll try not
to get snooty about it. The advantage of using a FOR, would be to save those lines
that set and update row_ctr
(currently appearing in the 'body' of the code) and move them into the FOR command
(where they do not 'intrude'
on the primary logic of the code).
Trouble is, the above exception condition kicks in after line 12 too - which you don't
want, so:
if ( row_ctr divides evenly by 4 AND row_ctr <> 12 )
fnDisplayFruitImages;
Yuk! Or relying upon the "12", even:
if ( row_ctr = 4 or row_ctr = 8 )
fnDisplayFruitImages;
and then, if I don't mention it, someone else will even point out (that we should
stick with the WHILE
choice(!!!***???)) and then we can have:
if ( row_ctr = 4 )
{
fnDisplayFruitImages;
row_ctr = 0
}
Which brings us neatly to how to handle the situation if there are more than 12
rows/we don't have advanced
knowledge of the number of rows that will be in the resultset. The exception portion
of the last example will
continue to work (according to the above-assumed criteria), no matter how many rows
you throw at it! Of course,
the code-police would be after us for the equi-relationship, instead insisting upon
">="; and the
structure-police will be after us because you 'should' reflect the structure more
'properly' with multiple loops
(at which point I'm going to invoke the '5th', blame it all on you, and claim
witness-protection):
query db to get resultset
get num_rows as last_row //put in this change because now we
don't know how many rows until
we ask
fetch first row //start processing the resultset
row_ctr = 0
while there's still data in the resultset //row_ctr < num_rows***
{
set_ctr = 0
while ( set_ctr < 4 AND there's still data in the resultset*** )
{
ECHO row data
set_ctr ++
fetch next row
}
row_ctr += 4
if ( row_ctr < num_rows ) //or, use 'lookahead', ie ask if there
is valid data in the
latest row fetched from the resultset
fnDisplayFruitImages;
}
BTW I haven't tested a single line of code (after all this typing you can guess why),
so E&OE. Please let me
know if you try to implement and find that I've led you somewhat astray...
*** many people (myself included) regularly use a construction where the row-fetch
call is made inside the
WHERE's condition-expression and rely upon the interface function's boolean result to
advise EOF. Because there
are nested loops in this case (which by definition must have the same 'outer' control
condition), they cannot
BOTH use this technique, so the compromise (will you children please stop
bickering...) is 'neither'.
Someone recently pulled me up on using the term "EOF" (end of file - showing my age!?)
but EoR/resultset,
doesn't seem to have quite the same ring to it... Any new tricks for the old dog?
Oh yes, the three loops? Well if you insist:
query db to get resultset
//num_rows must be 12
for ( row_ctr = 0; row_ctr < 4; row_ctr ++ ) ECHO row data
fnDisplayFruitImages;
for ( row_ctr = 0; row_ctr < 4; row_ctr ++ ) ECHO row data
fnDisplayFruitImages;
for ( row_ctr = 0; row_ctr < 4; row_ctr ++ ) ECHO row data
Naaaaaaah!
Not sure what fruit machines have to do with securities (!?), but are we having fun
yet?
=dn
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