An empty query which should not be empty!

[sal]

Hello everyone,

Your help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Here is the result of a query:

select * from freemembers, members, categories WHERE freemembers.username = members.username AND freemembers.username = categories.username AND freemembers.gender LIKE '%%' AND freemembers.pic != '' AND categories.category LIKE '%kung fu%' order by imgtime DESC limit 0,10 kung fu Query was empty

However, there is data corresponding to the above condition which arises only when I preceed the query with:

if ($category != "") {

Category is not empty since the query returns kung fu!

If I remove the if statement, then it works!

I know it's looking at me right in the face, but I cannot find the cause of the problem.

Thanks again,

Sal

[Wien]

what's the link between your query and $category ? I'm sorry but I don't understand your problem, can you explain a little bit more accurately

[sal]

I have 3 tables, from which I am attempting to show some combined data. Personal information is entered into the 2 members tables (freemembers, members). Each member then enters a category which he/she wants to do. The report should show something like

Kung fu (The category field in table.categories)
Tom (username of table.members)
Jim
etc...

This report in entered by filling up a search form.

What puzzles me is the fact that

if ($category != "") {

even though the query returns a value for the category, it then proceeds to say that the query is empty.

The if statment does mean: If category is blank then...?

[sal]

Never mind. I found it! It was so stupid I am even too ashamed to give the reason.

Thanks for your help