Associating values in arrays

[potaroo]

I've been trying to do a multidimensional (?) array but am pretty stuck.

Basically, the crux of the problem is when I have 'missing' records - and I just don't know how to solve that problem. Let me explain.

I have a Table of books (these are not literal values)

Library_id | Book_id | Book_Title | Count
1   |   id_14  |   my abc   |  5
3   |   id_6  |   my abc   |  7
4   |   id_15  |   my abc   |  3

There are 4 libraries, but not all book names are kept in each library. However, when I do a query, I want every library to be listed and empty records to be listed with specified values.

Output

Details for book name is: my abc

id_14    Absent    id_6    id_15

    5          0        7        3

I have with some help, managed to create the output I want using arrays... but it works only if the $book_title is present for every $lib_id. But when there are empty records, my output file screws up (I am outputing data to a graph and not a table). So I thought I might need to do some sort of association to get the output all in the right order and indicate absence if there is no data to solve the problem.

My search query is simple:

Search query:

Sql “select * from Books where $book_title=‘my abc’”;
Define (Book_id as $book_id);
Define (Library_id as $lib_id);
Define (Count as $count);

1. I assume that I should create a Library ID array.

$Library_array[]=array('1', '2', '3', '4');

From here on ... I am totally lost as to how to create the associations:

2. Somehow I need to match the $lib_id with the $Library_array[] values. How?

3. If there is no match to a particular Library_array[] value, then I want to set the $book_id to "Absent" and the $count to "0".

Hopefully someone might be able to help me out? 🙂

[PallaviDalvi]

ok...this is how i wud be tackling the prob.
i have 2 tables(can have many tables but i need these 2 for this particular prob.)

Table 1 : Library
fields: Id, Name(can have more...but these are imp for me)

Table 2: Books
fields: Book_id, Book_name and Lib_id.(can have more...but these are imp for me)

1. read the library ids(from Library) into an array...order by id
2. read the matching records from books... order by Lib_id. now here i make an assumption that there wud be not more than one record for a library. meaning if a book is there in a library i get only 1 rec...if not then no rec.
3. for each lib_id in the library array...check if a corresponding rec is available in books array...if yes print it ...if not print absent(or whatever it is u want to.)
4. move on till the end of arrays.
   hopefully this is what u wanted .... get back if theres more.

[potaroo]

Hi Pallavi

Thanks for the response. Yes, what you have written is exactly what I want to do. I have already managed to work out point 1 (this only needs to be manually done as there aren't many libraries) and 2 (easy SQL statement and entry into array). But it is point 3 that I am stuck at :mad:

3. If there is no match to a particular Library_array[] value, then I want to set the $book_id to "Absent" and the $count to "0".

and can't proceed to point 4 🙁 .

I just can't work out the coding for this ... I've tried all sorts of different ways, but keep getting some strange results :bemused: .

Any tips on syntax?

Thanks

[PallaviDalvi]

well... u need to do a search thru the arrays.... some thing like this...
for each lib_id
if lib_id=book_lib_id
book present.
read next book record
else
book absent
end if
end for
i cant vouch for this method since i dont really have time to test it. but i guess this wud give u a platform to start with and u can develop it further.
get back if this isnt any good.

[potaroo]

OK ... I've done a bit of playing around and have come up with this:

$sql1 = "select LIBRARY_ID, etc COUNT from SAGE_LIB where etc ";
$stmt1=OCIParse($conn,$sql1);
OCIDefineByName($stmt1,"TAG_ID",&$name);
OCIDefineByName($stmt1,"TLIBRARY_ID",&$tlib_id);
OCIDefineByName($stmt1,"COUNT",&$count);
OCIExecute($stmt1);
$count1=0;

$Library_array=array(0=>'2', 1=>'3', 2=>'4', 3>'5');
$libid_array=array();

while (OCIFetch($stmt1)) {
$count1++;
$libid_array[]=$tlib_id;
}

foreach($libid_array as $tlib_id) {
if ($Library_array=$libid_array) 
{echo "book from $Library_array[0] $Library_array[1] $Library_array[2] $Library_array[3] present <br>\n";}
else {echo "book absent<br>\n";}

}

The result I get

book from 4 5 3 2 present
book from 4 5 3 2 present
book from 4 5 3 2 present
book from 4 5 3 2 present

suggests that there is something not quite right with the loop ... still trying to work that out ... but maybe you can see the problem better than I can ... ? 🙂