cannot access db

[billspeg]

mysql_select_db("bookorama");
$query = "select * from bookorama where ".$searchtype." like '%".$searchterm. "%'";
$result = mysql_query($query);
$num_results = mysql_num_rows($result);

error message when running this points me to these lines error is Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in c:\inetpub\wwwroot\orderform\results.php on line 24
help please

[scoppc]

Guess that you have a bad connection to your mysql server.
If that's not the case, just check whether the query you intended to run is indeed running well or not.

[cgraz]

add this:

print $query . "<br>";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());

Replace your $result variable with this one, and add in the print line. You should always error check mysql problems this way.

Cgraz

[billspeg]

i don;t know how to check if query is running any debug advice would be helpful please

[cgraz]

The code I gave you will tell you the problem. Did you even try it?

Also, please don't double post.

Cgraz

[scoppc]

trying to print the $query as suggested by cgraz is always be my first choice. Checking it by using either mysql_error() function or an if statement like the one shown below is the next.

mysql_select_db("bookorama"); 
$query = "select * from bookorama where ".$searchtype." like '%".$searchterm. "%'"; 
$result = mysql_query($query); 
if (!$result){
print "something wrong with the query: " . $query;
}else{
$num_results = mysql_num_rows($result); 
print "You got " $num_results . " results";;
}

[billspeg]

the print $query "<br>";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());

that was a handy peice of code you shared and showed me right where the problem was I appreciate it teach!