[RESOLVED] Embedded SQL in PHP one version works the other does not...

[tech204]

//$sql = "DESCRIBE ".$table;
$sql = "DESCRIBE '$table' ";
$result = $con->query($sql);
$resultarray=$result->fetchAll(); 

I would like to know why using SQL statement in line 2

$sql = "DESCRIBE '$table' "; 

does not execute properly and results in the error;

"Fatal error: Call to a member function fetchAll() on a non-object in.."

shown on the last line of the paste whereas SQL statement in line 1

$sql = "DESCRIBE ".$table; 

executes just fine.

I am using Apache/2.2.21 (Win32) mod_ssl/2.2.21 OpenSSL/1.0.0e PHP/5.3.8 mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.10.1 in XAMPP
and MySQL Server version: 5.5.16

P.S. From what I v been reading I am aware that I probably should be using PDO prepare/execute statements for SQL with parameters...

[bradgrafelman]

Single quotes are used to delimit strings, not identifiers. The latter are delimited either by double quotes (standard SQL and/or MySQL in ANSI_QUOTES mode) or by backticks (MySQL only, IIRC). (See MySQL manual page 9.2.1. Identifier Qualifiers.)

EDIT: As to why you're getting that exact error message, that would be because the code was poorly written and didn't verify that the query was successfully executed and, if not, logged and/or outputted the SQL error message to aid in debugging.

[tech204]

Thank u for your explanation and for fixing my initial post