Different table for each result

silentmajority3

I am making an election returns website and I am trying to make it so this script I have put together calls a different table for each election, for example - if the address in the bar has

elections.php?race=2002

it will call MySQL table 2002

?
if (! $dbh = mysql_connect('localhost','php','password')) {
    die(Error: ".mysql_error() );
}
mysql_select_db('elections');

$result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM atlantic') or exit(mysql_error());

echo '
<table border="5" bgcolor="white" width="650">
<tr>
    <td><b>Town</b></td>
    <td><b>Canidate 1</b></td>
    <td><b>Canidate 2</b></td>
</tr>
';

while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
    echo '
<tr>
    <td>' . $row['MUN_LABEL'] . '</td>
    <td>' . $row['Canidate1'] . '</td>
    <td>' . $row['Canidate2'] . '</td>
    </tr>
    ';
}
echo '
</table>';
?>

jannoy

try
if (isset($GET['race'])) {
$table=$GET['race'];
}
else
{
$table='defaulttable'];
}

then in your
$result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM atlantic') or exit(mysql_error());

should
$result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM $table') or exit(mysql_error());

silentmajority3

I get this error

Notice: Undefined index: race in c:\domains\mikeassad.com\wwwroot\elections.php on line 17
Table 'elections.$table' doesn't exist

xblue

the reason for this is that variables are not being evaluated in singlequotes. use doublequotes or the . notation, like
'SELECT * FROM ' . $table

after fixing this, I think you still should not rely on user input too much, the $_GET['race'] may or may not contain a valid table name.

usually I'd define every valid name and use the default otherwise, e.g.

switch ($_GET['race']) {
case 'race1':
case 'race2':
case '...':
// more goes here
    $table = $_GET['race'];
    break;
default:
    $table = 'defaulttable';
}

silentmajority3

The string looks like this

$result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM ' . $table) or exit(mysql_error());

but I'm still getting that error

xblue

sounds a little strange 😕
what does this print?

$sql = 'SELECT * FROM ' . $table;
result = mysql_query($sql) or exit('Error: ' . mysql_error() . ' in query: ' . $sql);

silentmajority3

I figured it out, I placed the switch after the variable was used.