Getting data from database

[baby_g]

Hi,

I got this strange situation here...
In the following code, I'm just normally retrieving a data from my database.

Given $first_name should be 'php' according to the database, I expected a result output:
In database
php

But instead I get:
In database
Resource id #2

Anyone know what's wrong with my code? Don't know what Resource id #2 means.

//connect server and select database
$link = mysql_connect($db_host,$db_user,$db_pass) or die ('Unable to connect to SQL server.');
mysql_select_db($db_name) or die ('Unable to locate' . $db_name . ' database');

$str='phpisgood';
$first_name = mysql_query("SELECT first_name FROM php_exercise2 WHERE username = '$str'");
if (mysql_num_rows($first_name)==0) {
echo 'News type not in database.' . "\n";
}
else{
echo "In database\n";
echo $first_name;

[devinemke]

<?
$link = mysql_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass) or exit(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db($db_name) or exit(mysql_error());

$str = 'phpisgood';
$result = mysql_query("SELECT first_name FROM php_exercise2 WHERE username = '$str'") or exit(mysql_error());
if (mysql_num_rows($result))
{
	echo 'In database:<br>';
	while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
	{
		echo $row['first_name'] . '<br>';
	}	
} 
else
{
	echo 'News type not in database'; 
}
?>

[baby_g]

I was wondering would using mysql_result be an easier way?

I tried using it.. but getting errors

//connect server and select database 
$link = mysql_connect($db_host,$db_user,$db_pass) or die ('Unable to connect to SQL server.'); 
mysql_select_db($db_name) or die ('Unable to locate' . $db_name . ' database'); 

$str='phpisgood'; 
$first_name = mysql_query("SELECT first_name FROM php_exercise2 WHERE username = '$str'"); 
if (mysql_num_rows($first_name)==0) { 
echo 'News type not in database.' . "\n"; 
} 
else{ 
echo "In database\n"; 
echo mysql_result($first_name, 0);

?>