pass a php variable in a myql query?

[bigfunkychief]

Wondering.....can you pass a variable to the column name in an UPDATE query? I can't get this to work, tried a few different combinations. I've confirmed the variable $category gives output (by inserting an echo command).....

The code in question is:
$query = "UPDATE items SET '$category' = '$updatevalue' WHERE id = '$id'";

If I insert the column name to update (breakfast) in place of the '$category' like so:
$query = "UPDATE items SET breakfast = '$updatevalue' WHERE id = '$id'";

it works fine.....I must be doing something wrong! Thanks in advance....

Scott

The whole code is:

$user="user";
$host="xxxxxx";
$password="";
$database="newfood";
$category="breakfast";

$connection = mysql_connect($host,$user,$password)
or die ("couldn't connect to server");
$db = mysql_select_db($database,$connection)
or die ("Couldn't select database");

$query = "UPDATE items SET '$category' = '$updatevalue' WHERE id = '$id'";
$result = mysql_query($query)
or die ("Couldn't execute query.");

[laserlight]

More likely the syntax you used is incorrect.

One possible way might be:

$query = "UPDATE items SET $category = '$updatevalue' WHERE id = '$id'";

[sireteanub]

Have you tried
$query = "UPDATE items SET $category = '$updatevalue' WHERE id = '$id'";
I belive this will work just fine.

[bigfunkychief]

Sireteanub, I did try your suggestion....believe it gave a parse error. Thank you anyways....

Laserlight, that actually did the trick. Thanks!!!!!

Much appreciated....