[Resolved] sorting results

rweiss

I have a directory browse search page that allows the user to select a letter of the alphabet and call up all last names that begin with that letter.

Now that there are a number of people in this deirectory, it has become necessary to sort these results alphabetically (right now they display in the order the record was entered).

How do I add an alphabetical sort to this:
<?php
while ($row = db_fetch_array($result)) {
print "<a href=\"results.php?rid=". $row['ID'] ."\">". $row['Last_Name'] .", ". $row['First_Name'] ."</a><i>   ". $row['Business_Name'] ."</i>\n";
print "<br />\n";
print $row['City'] .", ". $row['State'] .", ". $row['Zip']."\n";
print "<hr />\n";
}
?>

Thanks

Pig

You cannot do it there. You must do it from the query.

Add the following to the end of your query:

ORDER BY Last_Name

rweiss

Okay...this is why I am in the newbie area.

I guess I'm not sure which part of this is the query.

I tried doing it in:
function list_matches ($table) {
if ($array = clean_array ($GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS'])) {
if (count ($array) >= 1) {
$i=0;
while (list ($field, $value) = each ($array)) {
if (is_array ($value)) $value = implode ("%", $value);
if ($i<1) {
$sql = "SELECT * FROM 42directory WHERE ${field} LIKE '%${value}%'";
} else {
$sql .= " AND ${field} LIKE '%${value}%'";
}
$i++;
}
}
}

But nothing happens. Can you tell me where in here (if it is in this function) where to insert it?

Pig

it should look something like:

$result = mysql_query($qry);

The part you posted is part of building the query, but the safest place to modify the query is right before it is called, so that you can be sure you aren't messing with the formulation process. If you find the line that begins:
$result =
Then I can help you. Most likely all you will need to do is put this line, right before the $result =
$sql .= " ORDER BY Last_Name";

rweiss

okay...this is what I tried:

/------------------------------------------
List found matches.
------------------------------------------/
function list_matches ($table) {
if ($array = clean_array ($GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS'])) {
if (count ($array) >= 1) {
$i=0;
while (list ($field, $value) = each ($array)) {
if (is_array ($value)) $value = implode ("%", $value);
if ($i<1) {
$sql = "SELECT * FROM 42directory WHERE ${field} LIKE '%${value}%'";
} else {
$sql .= " AND ${field} LIKE '%${value}%'";
}
$i++;
}
}
}

// echo $sql;
// if($GLOBALS['CONFIG']['DEBUG']) echo("\n");

$result = db_query($sql);
$rows = db_numrows($result);
$sql .= "ORDER BY Last_Name";

?>
<table width="740" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td>Found: <?php echo $rows ?>
<hr>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><?php
while ($row = db_fetch_array($result)) {
print "<a href=\"results.php?rid=". $row['ID'] ."\">". $row['Last_Name'] .", ". $row['First_Name'] ."</a><i>   ". $row['Business_Name'] ."</i>\n";
print "<br />\n";
print $row['City'] .", ". $row['State'] .", ". $row['Zip']."\n";
print "<hr />\n";
}
?>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<?php
}

/------------------------------------------
Browser.
------------------------------------------/
function browser ($table) {
$letter = $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['letters'];
$sql = "SELECT * FROM 42directory WHERE last_name LIKE '${letter}%'";

// echo $sql;
// if($GLOBALS['CONFIG']['DEBUG']) echo("\n");

$result = db_query($sql);
$rows = db_numrows($result);
$sql .= "ORDER BY Last_Name";

but it didn't change anything. :-(

Thanks for helping on this.

Pig

Easy fix. You almost had it. You have to modify $sql BEFORE it is called. You have it after.

$result = db_query($sql);
$rows = db_numrows($result);
$sql .= "ORDER BY Last_Name";

should be:
$sql .= " ORDER BY Last_Name";
$result = db_query($sql);
$rows = db_numrows($result);

Please note the CRUCIAL space before the word "order". If you do not include that space, it will not work.
" ORDER BY..." good
"ORDER BY..." bad

Lemme know if that works. Make to hit the "resolved" link at the bottom of the page that fixes the problem.

rweiss

that did it...many thanks!!

Pig

Glad to help. Don't forget to mark the thread resolved. 🙂