Two EASY question, I just don't know the answers!

VooDooRT

Ok, I just started programming with php TODAY! YEAH ME! Anyway, I'm trying to write a VERY simple news script for my site, and I'm having problems getting ALL the news in the database to post. Currently, it's only posting the first news item entered.

Here is the code:

include("db_connect.php");

$sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM news ORDER BY new_id DESC LIMIT 5"); 
$news = mysql_fetch_row($sql) or die("Database choked on query ($sql). MySQL sez: ".mysql_error()); 
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)) 
{ 
$subject = $row['subject']; 
$date = $row['date']; 
$news = $row['news'];

echo ("
	<center>
	<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 style=border-collapse: collapse bordercolor=#111111 width=75% id=AutoNumber1>
  	<tr>
   	 <td width=35% bgcolor=#CC6600 style=font-family: Microsoft Sans Serif; font-size: \"8pt\"; color: #C0C0C0; font-weight: bold>$subject</td>
   	 <td width=65% bgcolor=#CC6600 style=font-family: Microsoft Sans Serif; font-size: 8pt; color: #C0C0C0>$date</td>
  	</tr>
  	<tr>
  	  <td width=\"100%\" colspan=2 style=font-family: \"arial\"; font-size: \"8pt\:; color:\"#cccccc\">$news</td>
  	</tr>
	</table>
	</center>
	");
}

Now on to my SECOND question...

What's the easiest way to convert this date format: 2002-08-25 21:01:38
into this: 25 August, 2002 9:01pm

AND, finally, my LAST question...

This is mainly for you Vbulliten guys out there...
I'm using vBulliten, and I have everything in my header insert set via mysql. However, it's all in a different database from what I'm using for the forum. How do I make a statement to connect to both databases while surfing the forums? If you don't understand, don't worry...cause I don't either...lol

Thanks in advance!

sarahk

Now on to my SECOND question...

You can write a quick piece of code to get the substrings and know that 08 must be August. have a look around for a class because someone will have written one. I know I have but it's embedded with other functionality and would take alot of work to share.

How do I make a statement to connect to both databases while surfing the forums?

There are times in any application where you may need to get data from more than once source so why should your website be any different. When you connect to a database you typically create a handle called $db. No reason why you can't connect to a second system with a handle called $db2

good luck

MrAlaska

Q1: mysql_fetch_row will only fetch the first row, you need to use mysql_fetch_array which will return an array of all the rows to loop through.

Q2: try this:
$date="2002-08-25 21:01:38";
$date=date('d M, Y h:m a',strtotime($date));
echo $date;

Q3: The other answer looked good to me

MrAlaska

Q1 again: I guess I didn't read it right the first time, but I still
don't think you wanted that fetch_row in there. I rearranged your
code so it seems to make more sense, but I am suffering from
sleep deprivation and didn't test it so you never know what is
gonna happen.

You may or may not realize, as you have it written:
This loop (if it works) will also generate a new table for each record
If you want the records all in one table, move the table tags outside
of the 'while' loop.


include("db_connect.php");

$sql = "SELECT * FROM news ORDER BY new_id DESC LIMIT 5";
$result=mysql_query($sql) 
  or die("Database choked on query ($sql). MySQL sez: ".
  mysql_error()); 
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC)) 
{ 
$subject = $row['subject']; 
$date = $row['date']; 
$news = $row['news'];

echo ("
    <center>
    <table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 
    	style=border-collapse: collapse bordercolor=#111111 
    	width=75% id=AutoNumber1>
      <tr>
        <td width=35% bgcolor=#CC6600 
        	style=font-family: Microsoft Sans Serif; 
        	font-size: \"8pt\"; color: #C0C0C0; font-weight: bold>
        	$subject</td>
        <td width=65% bgcolor=#CC6600 
        	style=font-family: Microsoft Sans Serif; 
        	font-size: 8pt; color: #C0C0C0>$date</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td width=\"100%\" colspan=2 style=font-family: \"arial\"; 
        	font-size: \"8pt:; color:\"#cccccc\">$news</td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </center>
    ");
}

VooDooRT

Man, you guys are awesome....

Some more stuff though...

Question 1: Mr Alaska, it worked great, thanks!

Question 2: The string worked, but now it's showing the same date on all the news. It's not getting a new date for each news.

Question 3: I tried something LIKE that, I just added my db_connect.php to the vBulliten includes, but it kept giving me an error saying it couldn't find the username table under the db I connect to for the site. Basically, Vbulliten is trying to find it's own info under the table I connected to through the include...

Here is the error:

Database error in vBulletin 2.2.5:

Invalid SQL: SELECT * FROM usergroup WHERE usergroupid=6
mysql error: Table 'voodoo_gensix.usergroup' doesn't exist

mysql error number: 1146

Date: Monday 26th of August 2002 10:13:44 AM
Script: [url]http://forums.fuziontek.com/index.php?[/url]
Referer: [url]http://forums.fuziontek.com/admin/index.php?action=head[/url]

The voodoo.gensix is the database I told it to connect to via the db_connect.php file. Once I get all the info I need out of that file, how to I close the connection and resume what vBulliten was trying to do before? Or is there a better way of doing this?

thanks!

VooDooRT

Something else I noticed really quick...

With the news script, it works great, but the styles I put in that table are not showing up. It's showing up as defualt font/default color.

Here is the index.php that I'm using...

require("config.php");
include("header.php");
include("news.php");
include("footer.php");

Pretty simple file, so I don't understand why it wouldn't use the table style I put in news.php...header.php doesn't have a style either...

VooDooRT

Ok, I don't know if you guys know this, BUT I'M RETARDED!

I fixed the date thing...although it's not a huge tasks...lol

It was reading the same date on all news because I negelected to change the date in your code (Mr Alaska) to read $row[date]

Yeah...I'm dumb...

Problem fixed now...

VooDooRT

Ok, I got the style problem worked out on the news...

I had to get rid of the table styles, and use direct calls...

Simple html...just didn't know php didn't like styles...oh well

hehe...this is neato...this php thing...

MrAlaska

Q1: Cool Beenz!

Q2: I would first check the raw data in the db to see if the date
column has all the same values. If so it probably indicates a
problem with an update statement somewhere in your code that
is omitting the 'where' clause when it updates the date column.

I assume your code looks like this:
$date = $row['date'];
$date=date('d M, Y h:m a',strtotime($date));
$news = $row['news'];

The call to $row[date] is pulling the data inside your while loop
then asigning the value to $date, so as long as you are inside
the while loop $date will have the date associated with that row
in the database. If you wish to call $date (or any other row)
outside of the 'while' loop, you will need to assign array values to
the variables or they will always represent the last row looked at.

Q3: If you are selecting another database in your imported
query, you need to give the database back to vBulletin by using a
mysql_select_db($vbdb) where $vbdb is the name of the
database vBulletin uses.

Next question: Styles all act on the client side of things. Check
the source of your outputted files and look for your errors there,
then you can go back into PHP and adjust the code to output the
proper HTML or adjust it to properly output missing HTML(or css,
dhtml, j-script, etc.) code.

MrAlaska

So you got it figured out while I was typing lol

It was too much work, I am NOT gonna UNTYPE it all.

BTW... PHP could care less about styles. Styles are all on the
client, PHP just hands out the code you tell it to and does not
know or care whether the client can read it or not.

VooDooRT

Ok, I'm cornfused about this whole vBulltien thing. I understand WHAT I have to do (release the db back to vBulliten), however, I'm totally lost on how.

Let me give you an example of what I'm trying to do:

Here is the code from the php insert on vBulliten, where I'm trying to grab the info for the header...

// This code is PHP4 only:
// ob_start(); 
// $header = ob_get_contents(); 
// ob_end_clean(); 
include('../ftek6/db_connect.php');
$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM site_info");
$myrow = mysql_fetch_array($result);
$result2 = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM links");
$myrow2 = mysql_fetch_array($result2);
$result3 = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM header");
$myrow3 = mysql_fetch_array($result3);

I understand this is NOT very optimized, but I'm working one issue at a time🙂

That's where I call the db for the header

Now, throughout the header code (where I tell it the styles, opening tables, basically everything that shows up outside, around, near, or close to the actual vBulliten forum itself), I have calls to THAT db...like this:

<TITLE>Fuzion Tek  </TITLE>
<meta name="AUTHOR" content="Jason R. Churchill, ($myrow[admin_email])">
<meta name="COPYRIGHT" content="All original content (c)2002 Fuzion Tek. All Rights Reserved">
<meta name="DESCRIPTION" content="FuzionTek.com, Web Design and more!">
<meta name="KEYWORDS" content="fuzion, web, design, art, photoshop, php">
<meta name="TITLE" content="Fuziontek.com">
<SCRIPT language=Javascript src="$myrow[site_url]/scripts/fade.js"></SCRIPT>
<style>
a:link  {text-decoration: none; color: $myrow3[link]}
a:visited {text-decoration: none; color: $myrow3[link]}
a:active {text-decoration: none; color: $myrow3[link]}
a:hover {text-decoration: none; color: $myrow3[link_visited]}
input        { font-family: $myrow3[form_text]; font-size: 10px; color: $myrow3[form_text_color];
               font-style: font-weight: bold; 
               border: 2px solid  "$myrow3[form_border_color]" ; background-color: $myrow3[form_bg_color];}
textarea     { font-family: $form_text; font-size: 10px; color: $myrow3[form_text_color]; 
               font-style: font-weight: bold; 
               border: 2px solid $myrow3[form_border_color]; background-color: $myrow3[form_bg_color];}
select       { font-family: $myrow3[form_text]; font-size: 10px; color: $myrow3[form_text_color]; 
               font-style: font-weight: bold; 
               border: 2px solid $myrow3[form_border_color]; background-color: $myrow3[form_bg_color];}
</style>
<style>
body {
scrollbar-3dlight-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_3dlight_color];
scrollbar-arrow-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_arrow_color];
scrollbar-base-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_base_color];
scrollbar-darkshadow-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_darkshadow_color];
scrollbar-face-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_face_color];
scrollbar-highlight-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_highlight_color];
scrollbar-shadow-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_shadow_color];
/* scrollbar-track-color: $myrow3[scrollbar_track_color];*/
}
</style>
$headnewpm

That's just the header insert for styles and what-have-ya...here is the code for the actual head/body

<center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="800" id="AutoNumber1" height="574">
  <tr>
    <td height="574" valign="top">
    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="800" id="AutoNumber2" height="58">
      <tr>
        <td width="293" rowspan="2" height="58">
        <img border="0" src="$myrow[site_url]/images/topleftbg.gif" width="293" height="150"></td>
        <td width="507" valign="top" height="17">
        <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3">
          <tr>
            <td width="100%" background="$myrow[site_url]/images/topbg.gif">
            <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber4">
              <tr>
                <td width="20%">&nbsp;</td>
                <td width="20%">&nbsp;</td>
                <td width="20%">&nbsp;</td>
                <td width="20%">&nbsp;</td>
                <td width="20%" align="right">
                <img border="0" src="$myrow[site_url]/images/topright.gif" width="50" height="50"></td>
              </tr>
            </table>
            </td>
          </tr>
        </table>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td width="507" valign="top" height="41">&nbsp;</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td width="800" height="58" colspan="2">
        <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="800" id="AutoNumber5" height="19">
          <tr>
            <td width="243" height="473" valign="top">
            <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber9" height="442">
              <tr>
                <td width="100%" colspan="2" height="69">
                <img border="0" src="$myrow[site_url]/images/navtopbg.gif" width="243" height="69"></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td width="70%" height="373" valign="top">
                <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber10" height="228">
                  <tr>
                    <td width="100%" background="$myrow[site_url]/images/navbg1.gif" valign="top" height="228">
                    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber12" height="97">
                      <tr>
                        <td width="32%" height="19" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
                        <td width="10%" height="19">&nbsp;</td>
                        <td width="39%" height="19">
                        <font face="Microsoft Sans Serif" size="1" color="#999999">
                        <a href="$myrow2[hyper1]">$myrow2[link1]</a></font></td>
                        <td width="19%" height="19">&nbsp;</td>
                      </tr>
                      <tr>
                        <td width="32%" height="19">&nbsp;</td>
                        <td width="10%" height="19">&nbsp;</td>
                        <td width="39%" height="19">
                        <font face="Microsoft Sans Serif" size="1" color="#999999">
                        <a href="$myrow2[hyper2]">$myrow2[link2]</a></font></td>
                        <td width="19%" height="19">&nbsp;</td>
                      </tr>
                      <tr>
                        <td width="32%" height="5"></td>
                        <td width="10%" height="5"></td>
                        <td width="39%" height="19">
                        <font face="Microsoft Sans Serif" size="1" color="#999999">
                        <a href="$myrow2[hyper3]">$myrow2[link3]</a></font></td>
                        <td width="19%" height="5"></td>
                      </tr>
                      <tr>
                        <td width="32%" height="18"></td>
                        <td width="10%" height="18"></td>
                        <td width="39%" height="19">
                        <font face="Microsoft Sans Serif" size="1" color="#999999">
                        <a href="$myrow2[hyper4]">$myrow2[link4]</a></font></td>
                        <td width="19%" height="18"></td>
                      </tr>
                      <tr>
                        <td width="32%" height="4"></td>
                        <td width="10%" height="4"></td>
                        <td width="39%" height="19">
                        <font face="Microsoft Sans Serif" size="1" color="#999999">
                        <a href="$myrow2[hyper5]">$myrow2[link5]</a></font></td>


etc...

See, through each of these, basically, all the time, it's calling the database to get variables... So, if I release a database, won't the information it needs be lost, and the variables posted in the body be worthless? Remember, I'm new at this...lol

Besides, I have no idea where it calls the vBulliten database...if that matters..

VooDooRT

Oh yeah, I discovered another issue with the news...

When I post something like this:

Blah

Blah, Blah blah blah blah blah

blah

it shows up like this:

Blah Blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah

basically, even though I insert a line, it mashes it all together...is there a way I can make it post what I post, without

mrmufin

You can use the function nl2br() which converts newline characters to HTML breaks ( )

MrAlaska

I don't have time to sort through your code, but your best bet
would be to do as Sarahk suggested. Give your database call a
unique name and address it explicitly so it does not interfere with
the VB one, then you do not need to worry about returning the db.

I don't have the syntax on hand, but check the
documentation and you will see where to enter the options to
specify a connection. Be sure to give your result sets a unique
name also, and then you can keep a handle on it.

MrAlaska

Originally posted by mrmufin
You can use the function nl2br() which converts newline characters to HTML breaks ( )

Cool function! I have been writing my own string replacement to
deal with that issue, I didn't know about nl2br. The page on it
also links to wordwrap(), another function I didn't know about
(wow, TWO of them I didn't know) and don't know why I would
ever need it, but it is perty neat just the same.

VooDooRT

I really apologize if I keep bothering you, but...

Where do I put the nl2br() and what variable do I put with it?

I haven't even begun to work with functions what-so-ever, so I'm pretty much totally lost when it comes to them...

As for the multiple db connections, I THINK I know what you're talking about, let's see...

include("config.php");

$dbnews = @mysql_connect("$host", "$db_user", "$db_password");  

  if (!$dbnews) { 

echo( "<p>Unable to connect to the " .          
  "database server at this time.</p>" 
);    
exit();  

  }  

  // Select the database

  if (! @mysql_select_db("$db_name") ) {    

echo( "<p>Unable to locate the database " .          
  "at this time.</p>" 
);    
exit();  

  }

That's my db connect...

So, what I think you're saying, is do something like this:

include("config.php");

$dbnews1 = @mysql_connect("$host1", "$db_user1", "$db_password1");  

  if (!$dbnews1) { 

echo( "<p>Unable to connect to the " .          
  "database server at this time.</p>" 
);    
exit();  

  }  

  // Select the database

  if (! @mysql_select_db("$db_name1") ) {    

echo( "<p>Unable to locate the database " .          
  "at this time.</p>" 
);    
exit();  

  }

$dbnews = @mysql_connect("$host", "$db_user", "$db_password");  

  if (!$dbnews) { 

echo( "<p>Unable to connect to the " .          
  "database server at this time.</p>" 
);    
exit();  

  }  

  // Select the database

  if (! @mysql_select_db("$db_name") ) {    

echo( "<p>Unable to locate the database " .          
  "at this time.</p>" 
);    
exit();  

  }

Then, when I call it later in the code, at least the first one (where the site info is all at, not vBulliten), is do something like this:

$dbnews $varible[callfromdb]

I know the code isn't exactly on, in fact is probably way off...but am I at least on the right track? lol

This database thing is kicking my ass!

MrAlaska

I'm on my way out the door, but try

$string=nl2br($string);

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.nl2br.php

As far as the connection you need to specify the connection name
in the mysql_select_db. It looks like even if you address it
explicitly you may need to return it back to VB. It shouldn't be too
difficult to figure out the name of the DB VB is using, after all you
own it! l

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-select-db.php

VooDooRT

I GOT IT! And I wrote it all myself...at least 75% of it...hehe...

What a pain..

Tell me if there is better code out there to write this in...

$news = ereg_replace("(\r\n|\n|\r)","<br>", $news);

$linebreak = "[\|]";
$news = ereg_replace($linebreak, "", $news);

It PERFECTLY adds the whenever I add the news....damn I'm good...

VooDooRT

Ok, I'm getting there...

Another question though...lol

they may never end, but thanks a million already for all the help you guys have given me...

I'm calling a news edit program that is supposed to post the current news in a textarea, but nothing comes up. The subject comes up just fine, but nothing wants to come up for the actual body of the news...


$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM news WHERE subject = \"$subject\"");
$myrow = mysql_fetch_array($result);
$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM news WHERE new_id = \"$id\"");
$theirrow = mysql_fetch_array($result);
				<textarea rows=6 cols=45 name=news length=30 value=\"$therow[news]\"></textarea>

What am I doing wrong? The only thing I'm calling from the page that selects the subject is the subject, and the news_id number. I'm not calling the news itself until this page...

malbera

$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM news WHERE subject = \"$subject\"");
$myrow = mysql_fetch_array($result);
$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM news WHERE new_id = \"$id\"");
$theirrow = mysql_fetch_array($result);
<textarea rows=6 cols=45 name=news length=30>$therow[news]\</textarea>