> I have following code, sorry it's pretty big for posting, i want to > split the output into 2 colomns, been trying almost all still can't > get it working
Harik, First off, have you checked the manual (http://uk.php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-result.php) and the recommendations against the use of mysql_result()? In this situation, one of the mysql_fetch_... functions might be a better choice because both data fields could be extracted in one operation. Apart from 'efficiency', the other reason for my saying this (I have never used _result()) is that I can't see where the manual talks about what _result() returns when it gets to an end-of-data situation (the _fetch_ functions return FALSE and are thus perfect for use in controlling while loops). Now to logic. May I offer a short programming lesson? If you are an experienced programmer and this is 'talking down' to you, I apologise. However this question has been asked (in a few guises) a couple of times recently, so lets get an answer up on the FAQs/archives... This program requires two processing loops: one to cycle through the available topic data, the other to display results in a two-column HTML table. Most of us think in terms of starting at the beginning (get the data) and working through to the end (display the results) - from the script provided it seems a reasonable assumption that you have done exactly this, and that everything is working properly (up to that last step before "the end"). However computers are logical but not rational. Sometimes it is worth starting at the end and working back towards the beginning! The 'second" loop is described as being responsible for presenting the results (in this example, a table with two columns). There are three logical parts to the entire process: setting up the HTML code for the table, looping through the rows (and columns), closing off with the end of table HTML code. In pseudo code it looks like: prepare the web page (as necessary) and echo the <TABLE> tag for each row of the table echo the <TR> tag echo the first column (<TD>data</TD>) echo the first column (<TD>data</TD>) echo the </TR> tag echo the </TABLE> tag and close the web page Quick aside: with two columns the above is acceptable. If there were numerous columns, but also because the other processing required here brings added complexity, an inner loop might be appropriate, thus: prepare for each row <TR> for each column echo the <TD>data</TD> </TR> finish-off Now let's talk about the topic-data loop process. Again, divide the logic into three parts: setting up MySQL and SELECTing the primary data, looping through each of the SELECTed records, and cleaning up afterwards. The existing script is neatly laid out to show this. In pseudo code, the script's logic becomes: set-up db and query table for each row returned perform secondary query/assemble and format full report data present topicId, topicName, and counter close down That being the case, can all of the processing of individual (in-bound) data records be packaged into a user-defined function? (modular programming) If the function returns true/false as well as the next data record, then the boolean state can be used to detect the end-of-data condition: set up while ( not end-of-data ) getnextrow() close down OK, so much for all that, how do the two halves get put back together? There are two loops, one cycling through HTML table tags, and the other cycling through a DB recordset/resultset. Because the output format is the important part/has the higher number of logical components/subdivisions, it must dominate the logic. Thus the data-provisioning part should be inverted - instead of squirting out data like a hose, which the HTML then has to be 'fitted around'; it should be set up like an on-demand drip feed, so that when the HTML requires a 'squirt' of data, it is delivered, one swallow at a time! Let's do this in two stages - first of all, with no data processing (ie just reporting/important part first). Combine the two set up code-blocks, and the two close-down code blocks and outline the HTML processing: prepare the page (as necessary) and echo the <TABLE> tag set-up db and query table --- for each row of the table echo the <TR> tag for each column echo the column data (<TD>data</TD>) echo the </TR> tag --- echo the </TABLE> tag close down (the DB) But how do we know how many rows to put in the table? Answer: we don't, and so have to set up the loop controls accordingly. if you prefer to continue using for-loops you can control these by use of the numOfRows = mysql_num_rows ($result) code; or if you make the outer into a while-loop then the idea of the boolean (mentioned above) brings a process-while-there's-still-data logic into play: Function getnextrow(...) perform secondary query/assemble and format full report data present topicId, topicName, and counter set end-of-data true/false (if needed for while-loop control ) getnextrow() while ( not end-of-data) echo the <TR> tag while ( end-of-data) and (column is 1 or 2) echo the column data (<TD>data</TD>) getnextrow() echo the </TR> tag or for each row ( num_rows / 2 and rounded up ) echo the <TR> tag for each column if ( getnextrow() <> end of data) echo the column data (<TD>data</TD>) echo the </TR> tag In case you're wondering: why are there two getnextrow()-s in the 'while-loop' example solution? The first takes care of the nil-result scenario. The second getnextrow() is not getting the data for the row being output in the HTML, it is checking to see if there is more data for the next column-row and thereby feeding the boolean conditions that control that code. Note that if a nil-data result is acceptable, and if in that situation the table should not appear at all (avoiding the strange display of a 'table' with column headings but no data rows, for example) then the first getnextrow() should be part of the <TABLE> set up processing, and control if there is any such processing at all ! > Have a nice day :-) =and you, =dn -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To contact the list administrators, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
