help with an array

[ironikart]

I've been trying to come up with a better way to do this, so I'm hoping someone can help here.

I'm trying to step through an array (sourced from a mysql query), and whilst stepping through the array I want to generate HTML content based on what item in the array is currently showing (a 3x3 html table). I'm making a little gallery and my sql query pulls out 2 fields (gallery id and thumb).

here's the code:

$image = mysql_fetch_array($image_result);
while ($i <= 9) {
		if ($i == 1) {
			echo "<tr align=\"centre\" valign=\"top\">";
		} else if ($i == 4) {
			echo "<tr align=\"centre\" valign=\"top\">";
		} else if ($i == 7) {
			echo "<tr align=\"centre\" valign=\"top\">";
		}

	if (isset($image['thumb'])) {
		echo "<td align=\"centre\"><a href=\"gallery_view_image.php?id=".$image['gallery_id']."\"><img src=\"image_viewer.php?path=gallery/thumbs/".$image['thumb']."\" border=\"0\"></a></td>";
	} else {
		echo "<td align=\"centre\">&nbsp;</td>";
	}
	if ($i == 3) {
		echo "</tr>";
	} else if ($i == 6) {
		echo "</tr>";
	} else if ($i == 9) {
		echo "</tr>";
	}

	$i ++; //increment internal counter
}

I know the code is bit rough. At the moment it creates the table nicely, I'm just not sure how to step through the array.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: I know I can use:

while ($image = mysql_fetch_array($image_result))

to step through the elements in the array, but then it doesn't build my table nicely because there aren't always 9 images on the page... I want the code to build the table regardless of the number of images.

[LordShryku]

Here's what I usually do....

if(mysql_num_rows($image_result) > 0) {

   /* If we have results, loop through them */

   $br=1; /* internal counter */
   $maxpoint=3; /* to keep track */
   $max=3; /* number of columns before setting new row */

   /* create first row */
   echo "<tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">";

   while($image=mysql_fetch_array($image_result)) {

  if(isset($image['thumb'])) {
     echo "<td align=\"centre\">
             <a href=\"gallery_view_image.php?id=".$image['gallery_id']."\"><img 
              src=\"image_viewer.php?path=gallery/thumbs/".$image['thumb']."\" border=\"0\">
             </a>
           </td>";
  } 
  else {
     echo "<td align=\"centre\">&nbsp;</td>";
  }

  if($br==$maxpoint) {
     /* If we hit the max, increment the maxpoint,
        close the current row, create a new one 
     */
     echo "</tr>
           <tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">";

     $maxpoint+=$max;
  }
  $br++;
   }
}

[tekky]

stealing Shryku's code... I modified it to completely fill a table (ie 7 images would still produce a table of 9 boxes) using an array could be done with out the array, but seemed simpler to use the array (As it sounded like thats what you wanted anyways)

[note - using the $max variable, this will work with any number of columns, as that variable directly affects the formula used to determine how far to pad the array.... so changing that will automagically increase the pad size as needed --]

if($count = mysql_num_rows($image_result) > 0) { 
	/* If we have results, loop through them */ 

$br=1; /* internal counter */ 
$maxpoint=3; /* to keep track */ 
$max=3; /* number of columns before setting new row */ 

/* popuplate an array with the image info */
while($images[] = mysql_fetch_array($image_result))
$count = count($images);

/* pad array to a number that fully populates the table with an array so the check doesnt error*/
$images = array_pad($images, $count + ($max - ($count % $max)), array(1));

/* create first row */ 
echo '<tr align="center" valign="top">'; 
foreach($images as $image) /* loop through and build the table */
{ 
	if(isset($image['thumb'])) /* due to this check, we had to pad the array, with an array */
	{ 
		echo "<td align=\"centre\"> <a href=\"gallery_view_image.php?id=".$image['gallery_id']."\"><img src=\"image_viewer.php?path=gallery/thumbs/".$image['thumb']."\" border=\"0\"></a></td>"; 
	} 
	else
	{ 
		echo "<td align=\"centre\">&nbsp;</td>"; 
	} 
	if($br==$maxpoint)
	{ 
		/* If we hit the max, increment the maxpoint, 
		    close the current row, create a new one 
		*/ 
		echo "</tr>\n<tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">"; 
		$maxpoint+=$max; 
	} 
	$br++; 
}
}

[ironikart]

Hey thanks for that. Works much better, and makes more sense to do it this way.

Much appreciated!

[tekky]

Originally posted by ironikart
Hey thanks for that. Works much better, and makes more sense to do it this way.

Much appreciated!

hehe no problem, which method did you end up using?

[ironikart]

I didn't see your post until just then Tekky so I went with LordShryku's method. I slight modified to the code to close of the table early if it reached the max number of rows.

only trouble now is that if there aren't 3,6 or 9 images the table row finishes off, and doesn't correctly complete the table. (e.g. if there were 4 images to display, there would be 6 cells on 2 rows). I'm gonna have to think about how to complete the table a bit more... or I'd welcome any more suggestions.

I haven't used array_pad before so that example was very useful 🙂 .

updated code:

$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($image_result);
if($num_rows > 0) { 

   /* If we have results, loop through them */ 

   $br=1; /* internal counter */ 
   $maxpoint=3; /* to keep track */ 
   $max=3; /* number of columns before setting new row */ 

   /* create first row */ 
   echo "<tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">"; 

   while($image=mysql_fetch_array($image_result)) { 

  if(isset($image['thumb'])) { 
     echo "<td align=\"centre\"> 
             <a href=\"gallery_view_image.php?id=".$image['gallery_id']."\"><img 
              src=\"image_viewer.php?path=gallery/thumbs/".$image['thumb']."\" border=\"0\"> 
             </a> 
           </td>"; 
  }  
  else { 
     echo "<td align=\"centre\">&nbsp;</td>"; 
  } 

  if($br==$maxpoint && $br <> $num_rows) { 
     /* If we hit the max, increment the maxpoint, 
        close the current row, create a new one 
     */ 
     echo "</tr> 
           <tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">"; 

     $maxpoint+=$max; 
  }  else if ($br == $num_rows) {
  	echo "</tr>";	
  }
  $br++; 
   } 
}

[LordShryku]

No code example here, but maybe take mysql_num_rows divided by your max number, number_format to a 1 point decimal. Then figure out how many blank cells you'll need from there.

[tekky]

my example should fill out the blank spaces...

ie 4 images will have a table of 6 with 1 nbsp in each of the last 2 blank td's

does it not work? if so ill look over it after dindin 😃

[ironikart]

Thanks guys, I tried it out with array pad and foreach (tekky's code) and it certainly gets the blank cells sorted out. The first example still had the problem of only executing the while loop to the number of rows in the array.

The array pad causes an extra row to be created at the end of the table (9 becomes 12, 6 becomes 9...). I can't see what's causing it though.. probably my lack of understanding about what the array_pad is doing.

[tekky]

woops my bad
change

$images = array_pad($images, $count + ($max - ($count % $max)), array(1));

to

if ($count % $max)
{
	$images = array_pad($images, $count + ($max - ($count % $max)), array(1));
}

[note - the reason this check is needed, is because if $count % $max == 0 then the padding isnt needed, like this, the padding will ONLY occur IF the modulus returns > 0 which would evaluate as a true statement -- explanation below --}

reason for that mistake

6 % 3 = 0.... so....
6 (count) + (3 (max) - (6 (count) % 3 (max) ))
6 + (3-0)
6+3 = 9

when it should leave it alone at 6 since it would fill the table naturally 🙂

hope this explains it 😉

[ironikart]

Ah, Thanks for the great explanation. I have a few other things I'm doing where I can apply the same principles. Thanks for that!

[tekky]

Originally posted by ironikart
Ah, Thanks for the great explanation. I have a few other things I'm doing where I can apply the same principles. Thanks for that!

hehe no problem, believe it or not, the solution came to me on my way back to work from dinner 😃

[ironikart]

I had a problem with an extra row being generated at the end of the text, but I seem to have solved it by breaking the loop when the count reaches the total array elements (padding included).

It seems to work, and the good thing with this method is that it's scalable. I'm not just restricted to 3x3.

Here's the code I ended up using:

$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($image_result);
if($num_rows > 0) { /* If we have results, loop through them */ 

   $br=1; /* internal counter */ 
   $maxpoint=3; /* to keep track */ 
   $max=3; /* number of columns before setting new row */ 

   while($images[] = mysql_fetch_array($image_result))
   $count = count($images); 

/* pad array to a number that fully populates the table with an array so the check doesnt error*/ 
   if ($count % $max) 
	{ 
    $images = array_pad($images, $count + ($max - ($count % $max)), array(1)); 
	$count = count($images);
	}
   /* create first row */ 
   echo "<tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">"; 

   foreach($images as $image) { 

  if(isset($image['thumb'])) { 
     echo "<td align=\"centre\"> 
             <a href=\"gallery_view_image.php?id=".$image['gallery_id']."\"><img 
              src=\"image_viewer.php?path=gallery/thumbs/".$image['thumb']."\" border=\"0\"> 
             </a>
           </td>"; 
  }
  else { 
     echo "<td align=\"centre\">&nbsp;</td>"; 
  }

  if(($br==$maxpoint) && ($br < $count)) { 
     /* If we hit the max, increment the maxpoint, 
        close the current row, create a new one 
     */ 
     echo "</tr> 
           <tr align=\"center\" valign=\"top\">"; 

     $maxpoint+=$max; 
  }  else if ($br >= $count) {
  	echo "</tr>";
	break;	
  }
  $br++; 
   } 
}

[tekky]

cool beans glad it all worked 😉