Page variables

zingbats

I want to create a system where by there is a basic template for a page... But, The page gathers its information from a MySQL database.

Could you provide examples of how I could define the data as $variables. That way, I could just include them at will 😃

I was thinking like:

<HTML>
<BODY>
<a href="$webaddress">visit the site</a>
</BODY>

The page will have get the WHERE part of the MySQL via "page.php?clan=whatever" - Then would select data from the row accordingly

The code would be much appreciated 😃

dalecosp

There are a lot of content-based database-driven sites that do something like this; grab a content management system from somewhere and check it out.

Basically the idea is a field for the story text plus whatever other details you need to store about that story, such as the URL's of associated images, the headlines/bylines, etc.

Then your script/template calls up the appropriate stuff and you're good to go....

zingbats

I'm not sure I made it clear.......

Say I had a website about farm animals and I wanted a page about each of them. The MySQL table would look like this:

name | relevant_url | colour |

pig | http.......com| pink |

cow | http.......com| white |

I have a basic layout that prints the name of the animal, a relevent website and the animals' colour.

If I had "...index.php?name=pig" It would use the template, but fill in the gaps with the proper details.

Alex.

dalecosp

Originally posted by zingbats
The code would be much appreciated 😃

You made yourself quite clear :rolleyes:. I charge my customers upwards of twenty US dollars/hour for coding. My page is linked to my profile if you wish to inquite about my services....

On the offhand chance that you are seeking advice, I suggest that you either provide a section of your own code that is giving you trouble, ask a better question, read some other publicly available code, or check out the handbook. Some of the relevant functions include mysql_query(), mysql_fetch_array(), mysql_connect(), echo(), foreach() ......

if ($name=="pig") {
    $query="select * from animals where name='pig'";
    $details=mysql_fetch_array($query);
    // etc., etc.,

...there's quite a bit of discussion on these forums as to why we feel this way....

zingbats

I have the main connection code and I know how to get datafrom the table...

I don't know how to define each of the peices of information. Let me explain...

I have searched for pig and I want to to print the colour. How could I define the relevent MySQL color columns as a $variable. That way... if I code could be:

./All MySQL connect stuff here./

<HTML>
<body>
The animal You have chosed is $animal (found from a form on previous page). That animal is $animcolour
</body>

I am just wondering how you can define a MySQL table cell as a $variable.

dalecosp

$conn = db_connect(); // your connection function
$query = "select * from animals where species='$name'";
$result = @mysql_query($query);
if (!$result) {
    echo "no such animal!";
    exit;
    }
$result = @mysql_fetch_array($result);
echo $result['species']."<br>";
echo $result['color']."<br>";
echo $result['number_legs']."<br>";

Something like this perhaps.... 🙂

zingbats

Yes... but that doesn't define the cells as $tags.

I wanted it to be like....

$animal = ['animal']
$numlegs = ['numberoflegs']

or whatever... something where it is defining the cells.

Kind regards;
Alex.

dalecosp

Originally posted by zingbats
Yes... but that doesn't define the cells as $tags.

I wanted it to be like....

$animal = ['animal']
$numlegs = ['numberoflegs']

or whatever... something where it is defining the cells.

Kind regards;
Alex.

So, use the = (assignment) operator....

$animal=$row['species'];

...not too difficult....

zingbats

No it's not difficult... I just didn't know how to do it ^_

Thanks
Alex.

dalecosp

You're welcome 😉

zingbats

Why is this not returning the data clan_url data. It prints "This is a test, visit"

Surely there is something in there that I have missed....

<?php
    /* Connecting, selecting database */
    $link = mysql_connect("localhost", "zingbats", "WHATEVER PWL")
        or die("Could not connect");
    mysql_select_db("tycooneden_com") or die("Could not select database");

$query = "SELECT * FROM clans WHERE clan_name = '$clan'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die("Query failed");

$clan_url=$row['clan_url'];

print "This is a test, visit $clan_url";

mysql_close($link);
?>

If you could tell me I would be very happy 😃

$clan is defined in a form 😃

dalecosp

Originally posted by zingbats
Why is this not returning the data clan_url data. It prints "This is a test, visit"

Surely there is something in there that I have missed....

Yes. I used the mysql_fetch_array() function to define an array of each piece of data from each table row that matches the SQL query. You didn't :eek:. Setting $result equal to the query itself will just return a Resource ID, I think. I also apologize for using $row instead of $result in my second example, you may have been confused by that. $row is just a variable, not a function...

$result=mysql_query($query);
$foo=mysql_fetch_array($result);
echo $foo['clan_url'];

zingbats

So...The code would look like

<?php
    /* Connecting, selecting database */
    $link = mysql_connect("localhost", "zingbats", "WHATEVER PWL")
        or die("Could not connect");
    mysql_select_db("tycooneden_com") or die("Could not select database");

$query = "SELECT * FROM clans WHERE clan_name = '$clan'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die("Query failed");
$foo=mysql_fetch_array($result);
echo $foo['clan_url'];
$clan_url=$result['clan_url']   

print "test $clan_url";

mysql_close($link);
?>

Thanks;
Alex

dalecosp

Nope...

<?php
    /* Connecting, selecting database */
    $link = mysql_connect("localhost", "zingbats", "WHATEVER PWL")
        or die("Could not connect");
    mysql_select_db("tycooneden_com") or die("Could not select database");

$query = "SELECT * FROM clans WHERE clan_name = '$clan'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die("Query failed");
$foo=mysql_fetch_array($result);
$clan_url=$foo['clan_url']   

print "test $clan_url";

mysql_close($link);
?>

zingbats

tut tut tut.... You forgot a ; after the "$clan_url=$foo['clan_url']" bit!!!! (j/k)

Thanks anyway 😃

zingbats

What is wrong with this...?

<?php
    /* Connecting, selecting database */
    $link = mysql_connect("localhost", "zingbats", "The pwl")
        or die("Could not connect");
    mysql_select_db("tycooneden_com") or die("Could not select database");

$query = "SELECT * FROM clans WHERE clan_name = '$clan'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die("Query failed");
$foo=mysql_fetch_array($result);

/* Start the clan defining */

$clan_url=$foo['clan_url'];
$clan_Logo=$foo['clan_logo'];
$clan_admin=$foo['clan_admin'];
$clan_admin_email=$foo['clan_admin_email']
$clan_forum=$foo['clan_forum'];
$clan_name=$foo['clan_name'];

include "template.php";

mysql_close($link);
?>

template.php contains the $clan_url variables.