== operator

[Anon]

Hello everyone. I'm trying to compare 2 things to determine if it's true. I have a variable called "StrandName". The value of "StrandName" is entered by the user through a textbox.

I am trying to say:
if($StrandName == 'agriculture'){
// then do a bunch of stuff
}

Even when I type agriculture in it doesn't go in the "if-Statement". This is my code:

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="180">
<tr>
<td>
<form name="formSearch" action="content.php?section=results" method="POST">
<B><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">Strand:</font> </B><BR>

</td>
<td><input type="text" name="strandNum" size="25" maxlength="50"></td>
<td></td>
</tr>

// the following code is within another function.

}elseif($strandNum AND !$teacherName AND !$location){
print"<h3>Results for: $strandNum</h3>";
$strandNum ='%' .$strandNum.'%';

$sql="SELECT teachers.*
from teachers
ORDER BY '$orderBy'";
}

if(!$strandNum){ // it will go here

printRecord();

}elseif(strandNum){ // it will get here
$NewStrand=$totalStrand; // it will get here
if($strandNum== 'agriculture'){ //never here
print"<td>hello</td>";
}

Can anyone see what's wrong?

[Anon]

Could you be looking at the wrong var as you are looking at $stranNum for a string and not an int.....
Jim

[Anon]

$strandNum ='%' .$strandNum.'%';

Isn't the above line going to affect your if statement?

%agriculture% doesn't equal agriculture

[dstockto]

Two possible problems I see:

1) Try using " instead of ' in your if statement

if ($strandNum=="agriculture")

2) Are you sure want to compare strandNum to agriculture instead of $StrandName?

dave

[Anon]

Why dont you try the strcmp (var1,var2) ?

if(strcmp (string str1, string str2)){
// then do a bunch of stuff
}

I think it can work.

[kparker]

Guys,

It's nice to be helpful, but we should try a little harder to be accurate, too. Two things in particular stick out here:

(1) Single and double quotes are both string delimiters in PHP. Unless you need variable interpolation or escape-code processing, either will give identical results, e.g.:

$item = $array['key'];
$item = $array["key"];

(2) == is a perfectly legitimate string-comparison operator in PHP. Yes, strcmp() is also there, but it's primarily for those cases where you need the 3-way result.

[Anon]

Jim had it correct you are trying to compare $strandNum to 'agriculture' where you specifically state at the beginning that you want to check $strandName against 'agriculture'.

[Anon]

THANKS SO MUCH!
I figured this out before I checked the forum again but this is exactly why it didn't work!

[Anon]

Yeah that strandName, strandNum thing was a typo, sorry.

[Anon]

Sorry typo. I figured out my problem though! Wooo Hooooo!
Thanks for your input!

[Anon]

I guess even those that "aren't trying hard to be accurate" get lucky now and then...

[Anon]

you're my hero! *laughs"