Help with printf and sprintf

crseader

I am having trouble with printf and sprintf.
I have the following loop that i have created below

                            $cls3 = 8;
	$pnt=1;

	while ($pnt <= $cls3)
	{
	$points = sprintf("point_%s, ",$pnt);
		$pnt++;
	}
	break;
                            printf("Here are the Points: %s", $points)

Here is the Output for the sprintf below:

Here are the Points: point_8,

However when i do a printf statement instead of an sprintf i get all of the data with this output below:

point_1, point_2, point_3, point_4, point_5, point_6, point_7, point_8,

Why are there different outputs? I want to get the output that printf has for sprintf.

Please help
Thank You
Cameron Seader

yahelb

very simple.

sprintf return a formatted string .
that is simply what it do.

printf output formatting string.

if you want to output the data just use printf.

so your quetion is:
"Why are there different outputs?"

cause this is diffrent functions.

and the second:
"I want to get the output that printf has for sprintf"

add
$points = sprintf("point_%s, ",$pnt);
echo $points;

crseader

well that is good also but i need that echo data to go into this command here:

$createtbl = "CREATE TABLE $table (UTCTime, error, lowalarm, highalarm, $points)"

at the end where the $points is so that i can have those as columns for a database. let me know if u have any other ideas
Thanksk

yahelb

maybe i just dont understand you ..

there is no need for "break;" after the while.

i guess that you tring to do somthing like:

$cls3 = 8; 
$pnt=1; 

while ($pnt <= $cls3) { 
     $points = sprintf("point_%s, ",$pnt); 
     // store all the data in array.
     $arr_queries[] = "CREATE TABLE $table (UTCTime, error, lowalarm, highalarm, $points)";

 $pnt++; 
}

// output ? execute ?
foreach($arr_queries as $key=>$val) {
     echo $val . "<br>";
}

hope this is help.

crseader

for the variable $points will this give me the correct output of :

point_1, point_2, point_3, point_4, point_5, point_6, point_7, point_8,

thanks again.
-Cameron

yahelb

it should
try it out...

crseader

It does, but with one problem it kicks out multiple SQL CREATE commands i just one one Table created with all the point values in one table from 1 to 8. Like this below:

(UTCTime, error, lowalarm, highalarm, point_1, point_2, point_3, point_4, point_5, point_6, point_7, point_8)

is there a way to put it all on one line in one command.

Thanks,
Cameron

Weedpacket

The main drawback in your original code:

$pnt=1;

while ($pnt <= $cls3)
{
$points = sprintf("point_%s, ",$pnt);
$pnt++;
}
break;
printf("Here are the Points: %s", $points)

is that most of the values you give to $points never get used; each one gets wiped out by the next and only the last survives.

If you want to get "point_1, point_2, point_3", a simple way would be to go

$points = array();
for($pnt=1; $pnt<=$cls3; $pnt++)
$points[]='point_'.$pnt;
}
$points = join(', ', $points);
echo "Here are the Points: ".$points;

which has the advantage of not lobbing in a stray ", " without needing to make the loop any more complicated. Note also that sprintf() is overkill: PHP has operators to do string catenation.

crseader

Thats what i needed thank you very much
your awsome
i need to use arrays more often.
Thanks
Cameron

crseader

Why won't it go beyond 28 is there a limit on the range that we can have on this. Seems like 28 is a stopper. it won't let me go to 42 or 63.

hmmmm
know of any idea why

-Cameron

Weedpacket

I'm starting to think your database design is in need of serious renormalisation. Why do you need to create so many nearly identical tables? Why does each table need so many nearly identical fields?

crseader

well the reason why is because this script is being developed so that it takes the data from a device that sends log files to it and puts it into a database.