Database output display format

[sunder]

Output from my database needs to be printed on an
Avery address label which has 2 columns of 7 rows each.

This is the code to generate the data from the database

<?$result= mysql_query("select* from personalinventory ") or
die(mysql_error());?>

<?while($row=mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
?> <tr><?echo $row["name"];?></tr>
<tr><?echo $row["address"];?></tr>
<?}
echo "<br>\n";?>
</table>

So the display is in this format

name#1
address#1

name#2
address#2

name#3
address#3
....and so on.

How do I get it to print in this format

name#1     (blank spaces)   name#2
address#1  (blank spaces)   address#2

name#3     (blank spaces)    name#4
address#3  (blank spaces)    address#4

Any help is appreciated
thanks,
-sunder

[sfullman]

1. <?echo is too close (maybe just the forum's mistake), make it
   <? echo

2. <?} will drive the PHP engine nuts. You need <? }

3. I always use <?php and not <? , it's PEAR compliant

4. I think this is more readable

<?$result= mysql_query("select* from personalinventory ") or
die(mysql_error());?>
<table>
<!-- Start table rows -->
<?while($row=mysql_fetch_array($result)) { ?>

<tr><?echo $row["name"];?></tr>
<tr><?echo $row["address"];?></tr>

<tr><?echo $row["city"] . ", " . $row["state"] . " " . $row['zip'];?></tr>
<? } ?>
</table>

5. You're going to have a bugger of a time getting the heights right on this. What don't you just export into text file and let MS Word handle it, using your text file as a data source?

6. Does $row["address"] have it's own <BR> tags? If so, what in the world are you doing putting them in a database? Notice I added a few more lines above

[stolzyboy]

check out this post i helped someone else out on

http://www.phpbuilder.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10225708

[sfullman]

stolzyboy, checked out your response on that other post. It's definitely novel but I prefer the format I posted here because it will be viewable in Dreamweaver or perhaps other WYSIWG's.

This allows me to get some kind of graphical representation, and DW puts tags in yellow that aren't nested properly. You can see the table graphically, even if it's only one row, and quickly adjust things like the font and size.

There's no embarrasment in using a WYSIWYG if you're good...

Sam

[stolzyboy]

yes but you aren't giving him any columns like he wanted, you only have three rows on top of each other, unless i am missing something, i am reading this post again kinda early for me, so i apologize if i am missing something small

[sfullman]

stolzyboy,

Thank you, I didn't read the post very well :-)

What you're asking for is a horizontal looper.

General way to do this which will also be seen in a WYSIWYG is as follows:

<?php
//get your resource result as $result

$cols = 2; // whatever you want
$rows = ceil(mysql_num_rows($result) / $cols ); //math is obvious
?>

<table>
<!-- outer 'for' loop generates down the rows -->
<?php for($i=1;$i<=$rows;$i++){ ?>
<tr>

<!-- inner 'for' loop generates the columns across-->
<?php for($j=1;$j<=$cols;$j++){ ?>

 <?php if($rd=mysql_fetch_array($result)){ ?>
 <!-- this is the entire structure of a single label-->
    <table>
    <tr><td><?php echo $rd['field1'];?></td></tr>
    <tr><td><?php echo $rd['field2'];?></td></tr>
    <tr><td><?php echo $rd['field3'];?></td></tr>
    </table>
 <?php }else{ ?>
 <!-- this would only show on the last empty rows-->
   <table>
    <tr><td><?php echo $rd['field1'];?></td></tr>
    <tr><td><?php echo $rd['field2'];?></td></tr>
    <tr><td><?php echo $rd['field3'];?></td></tr>
   </table>
 <?php }  $j++;  #increment $j...   ?>

<?php }?>
</tr>
<?php }?>
</table><!-- end OUTER table-->

You can see this in a WYSIWGYG, which will be infinitely helpful in getting the margins correct. You have a table within a table, so you can ajust one table for the label postion and one for the field placement.

You can also change the number of columns.

Sam fullman
Compass Point media

[sunder]

Thanks so much Sam Fullman and Stolzyboy, I apologise for not being able to respond earlier(I'm a student and i'm working part-time on this project). Sam, tried out the code and i'm getting half the number of data in my database in a single file, guess I need to work on it somemore, but I get the idea.
Thanks again guys.
-Sunder