[Resolved] A to Z

[dan2158]

I want run a query of names from A to Z.
Select Name From Table Where Name Is Like "A%"
Select Name From Table Where Name Is Like "B%"
Select Name From Table Where Name Is Like "C%"
Etc..

Any suggestions on how I can do this with out writing a line of code for every letter in the alphabet.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan

[cgraz]

What do you mean? You just want to run 26 queries for no reason? Or do you want to set up the links that people can click to run these queries?

A | B | C | D | E | F etc

Anyways, I'd look at putting each letter of the alphabet into the array then looping, or something to that extent. An array would save you coding time. Just a suggestion.

Cgraz

[dan2158]

Well I figured I could do it that way and yes its for links like that. I'm guess I have to make the array equal to A thru Z. Thats still 26 lines of code. I was hoping theres a shorter way of doing it. Unless somone knows one?
Thanks,
Dan

[cgraz]

Here's how I'd do it

<?

$space = "&nbsp;";

// create array of alphabet
for ($i = 65; $i < 91; $i++) {
   $alphabet[($i - 65)] = chr($i);
}

// loop through results and display
foreach($alphabet as $value) {

 if($value == "Z") {
   echo "<a href=\"".$PHP_SELF."?ltr=".strtolower($value)."\">".$value."</a>";
 } else {
   echo "<a href=\"".$PHP_SELF."?ltr=".strtolower($value)."\">".$value."</a>".$space."|".$space;
 }

}

if($_GET['ltr']) {
   $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM table WHERE field_name LIKE '".$_GET["ltr"]."%'") or die(mysql_error());

// display results from query here

}

?>

It's dyanamic and it keeps you from having to have 26 different ifs with 26 different queries. The commented part that says create array of Alphabet also creates an array of the alphabet dynamically. You could always use

$alphabet = array("a","b","c","d", etc etc

But I didn't want to waste the time to do that. You should be able to work with this no problem and adapt it to your code.

Cgraz

[HalfaBee]

Why create an array to do this?

Wouldn't this be cleaner.
HalfaBee

for ($i = ord('A');$i<=ord('Z'); $i++) { 
   $value = chr($i); 
 if($value == "Z") { 
   echo "<a href=\"".$PHP_SELF."?ltr=".strtolower($value)."\">".$value."</a>"; 
 } else { 
   echo "<a href=\"".$PHP_SELF."?ltr=".strtolower($value)."\">".$value."</a>".$space."|".$space; 
 } 
} 

[dan2158]

Cool thanks guys this will definately help
thanks,
Dan

[dalecosp]

Both of you guys did fine. cgraz was classically correct, but HalfaBee's, wonderful!! ord() indeed....I would never have looked that up on my own...

🙂

[LanHorizon]

I just learned a couple of days ago that you can also use the range function:

$alphabet = range('A','Z');

and then throw that into a loop to display each letter