avg() function

[OwenTheSamoan]

I want to use the avg() function. I have a table with a column called "blue". In this column there are verious numbers ranging from 1-9. I want to get the average number from this column for a particular user. Here is the code I am using, but it won't work. Can someone please show me where I am going wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

Owen the Samoan

$result = mysql_query("SELECT avg(blue) FROM rate WHERE user_id='$user_id'") or die (mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$blue = $row["blue"];

}
echo $blue;

[Mordecai]

Originally posted by OwenTheSamoan
$result = mysql_query("SELECT avg(blue) FROM rate WHERE user_id='$user_id'") or die (mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$blue = $row["blue"];

}
echo $blue;

Okay, the query looks fine. Assuming it would return multiple rows without AVG(), that is. Theoretically it will return the number which corresponds to the average of all the rows where user_id is equal to '$user_id'. So far, so good.
The error lies here: [FONT=courier new]$blue = $row["blue"];[/FONT]. The problem being that the query did not return with a field named blue. This can be remedied two ways: [FONT=courier new]SELECT AVG(blue) AS blue FROM rate WHERE user_id='$user_id'[/FONT] or by using [FONT=courier new]print_r($row)[/FONT] to see what it is returning as.

[BuzzLY]

You can also access the value as $row[0].