Query Results in Random Order

[cbender]

I know that there there in no way in SQL to return the results in a random order, but I also know that once those results are returned, there is some way to manipulate it, so the results appear to be in a random order.

I need help in some how displaying these results to be in random order. Thanks a lot in advance
I have listings held in a MYSQL table and am currently returning the results like so (which works perfectly):

$result = safe_query(" select * from restaurant where active_client='Y' ");
$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);

$SQL_Result=Perform_Select_Query($result);
//takes from above results to allow fieldnames to be global variables to be used html--very flexible

$j=0;
while ($j <$rows) {
BLAA BLAA HTML OPEN TABLE
ECHO " $name=($SQL_Result[name][$j]);
BLAA BLAA HTML CLOSE TABLE
$J++;
}

Regards,
Craig.

[[deleted]]

The only way to manipulate the order in which you print the rows is by putting all the rows into an array and then shuffling the array.

[cbender]

Thanks Vincent, I figured it was something like that. Even though I am very proud at me being a newbie to php and me accomplishing that massive amount of code that I did--I'm still a newbie. Is it possible for you (or Anybody) to give me some idea of how to do that based upon my code in the first message string--Really appreciate it.

Regards,
Craig.

[[deleted]]

It's quite straight forward, and this should do it with your current code.

$aNames = array();
$j=0;
while ($j <$rows)
{
$aNames[]=($SQL_Result[name][$j]);
$J++;
}
shuffle($aNames);
// BLAA BLAA HTML OPEN TABLE
$j=0;
while ($j <$rows)
{
echo $aNames[$j];
$J++;
}
// BLAA BLAA HTML CLOSE TABLE

But here is how it is done in 'proper' code:

<?
error_reporting(E_ALL);

//&nbsp;Run&nbsp;the&nbsp;query
//
if&nbsp;(!$result&nbsp;=&nbsp;mysql_query("select&nbsp;*&nbsp;from&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;where&nbsp;active_client='Y'&nbsp;"))
{
&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;If&nbsp;an&nbsp;error&nbsp;occured&nbsp;then&nbsp;print&nbsp;the&nbsp;error&nbsp;message
&nbsp;&nbsp;//
&nbsp;&nbsp;echo&nbsp;mysql_error();
}
else
{
&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;No&nbsp;errors&nbsp;occured,&nbsp;were&nbsp;there&nbsp;any&nbsp;results&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;query?
&nbsp;&nbsp;//
&nbsp;&nbsp;if&nbsp;($iNumRows&nbsp;=&nbsp;mysql_num_rows($result)&nbsp;==&nbsp;0)
&nbsp;&nbsp;{
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;Zero&nbsp;results&nbsp;from&nbsp;query,&nbsp;do&nbsp;nothing
&nbsp;&nbsp;}
&nbsp;&nbsp;else
&nbsp;&nbsp;{
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;More&nbsp;than&nbsp;zero&nbsp;results,&nbsp;put&nbsp;them&nbsp;into&nbsp;an&nbsp;array
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;First&nbsp;make&nbsp;an&nbsp;empty&nbsp;array:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$aRecords&nbsp;=&nbsp;array();

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;Fetch&nbsp;a&nbsp;row,&nbsp;put&nbsp;it&nbsp;into&nbsp;the&nbsp;array,&nbsp;and&nbsp;keep&nbsp;doing&nbsp;that&nbsp;untill&nbsp;we&nbsp;can&nbsp;not&nbsp;fetch&nbsp;any&nbsp;more&nbsp;rows
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;while($aRow&nbsp;=&nbsp;mysql_fetch_array($result))
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$aRecords[]&nbsp;=&nbsp;$aRow;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;};
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;Finished,&nbsp;now&nbsp;$aRecords&nbsp;contains&nbsp;all&nbsp;the&nbsp;rows&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;query&nbsp;returned.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;Shuffle&nbsp;the&nbsp;array
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;shuffle($aRecords);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;//&nbsp;And&nbsp;print&nbsp;the&nbsp;rows
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;for&nbsp;($iT=0;&nbsp;$iT<$iNumRows;&nbsp;$it++)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;echo&nbsp;$aRecords[$it]['field_name'];
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;};
&nbsp;&nbsp;};
};
?>

[[deleted]]

in the last for-loop, the $it should read $iT, or it will go into an infinite loop!

[cbender]

Thanks a whole lot Vicent--You are the man!

I had to end up using my sloppy code, instead of your "correct" code, but in the end if it works it works, and this works great--Thanks.

Regards,
Craig.

P.S. I'm sure you know this but I added "srand function" before "shuffle" so it would shuffle better.